For the second year in a row, Nischal Ram, a sales rep with Sutton – Premier Realty in Surrey, B.C. provided families in need in the Lower Mainland with a full turkey dinner, with the help of friends, clients and office colleagues. In 2016, his Surrey Basket Brigade assisted 48 families and this year they delivered baskets to 80 families – the equivalent of more than 500 individuals.
Each basket contained the ingredients for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner: a frozen turkey, a cooking pan, mashed potatoes, carrots, rice, bread, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, crackers/cookies, turkey gravy, canned vegetables and candies for the children.
“More than 20 volunteers contributed financially and gave their time,” says Ram. “The volunteers were mostly my friends and clients, but broker Larry Anderson and Manny Sraw, the office administrator, did an awesome job providing support and allowing us to use the training room to fill the baskets and two other Realtors from our office kindly donated money to buy cooking pans.
“We raised just over $4,000,” he says. “Our group of volunteers donated $3,150 and the City of Surrey donated $1,000 for this great cause.”
Using the Surrey Basket Brigade Facebook page to help publicize and communicate, Ram has created an extensive network. “We work with various organizations like the City of Surrey, Immigration Service Society of B.C., schools, churches and the Lookout Society to find families who truly deserve and will appreciate a Thanksgiving basket.
“Lots of organizations step up to help during Christmas, but not for Thanksgiving. We wanted to make sure that families in need knew there are strangers out there who care about them. We hope to help more families in the coming years.”
