Back to School Drive Success!

ENOLA, PA (Aug. 11, 2023) – The Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® Foundation is proud to announce its successful collaboration with Kick in for Kids, Inc. in this year’s Back to School Supplies Drive.

This summer REALTORS® and our Business Partners collaborated to “Fill the (School) Bus” by generously donating essential school supplies. This heartfelt initiative resulted in an impressive collection of backpacks, pencils, crayons, folders, binders, notebooks, and numerous other items, all destined for local students in need.

Our vibrant donation boxes found their way to more than 35 offices, giving members multiple options for their contributions. Donations could be made at the GHAR office, any participating office, or even ordered from our Amazon Wish List for direct delivery to us.

We’re thrilled to report that this has been our most bountiful year to date! We had the pleasure of gifting three local schools – Cumberland Valley, East Pennsboro, and Mechanicsburg – with an amazing number of supplies. Notably, our donation inventory comprised over 100 backpacks, 400 notebooks, 500 folders, and 250 packs of crayons. In total, we saw a diverse mix of over 35 distinct types of school supplies this year.

A special shoutout to GHAR members Laurie Carney, Chris Pirritano, Dulci Clark, and Karen Agar. Their invaluable efforts in sorting, packing, and assisting Kick in for Kids in the loading process ensured a smooth and efficient donation handover.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to every individual who played a part in this initiative, helping us “Fill the Bus”.

Kick In for Kids works directly with the Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, and East Pennsboro school districts to identify families-in-need to provide support with food, clothing and medical care, as well as rent and utility assistance.

Katie serves as the Director of Member Engagement and Communications. She plays a vital role in enhancing the organization's reach and engagement with its members. Katie manages the organization's social media channels, designs promotional materials, maintains our website, and is the face behind the camera at all of our events! She crafts and sends our weekly e-newsletters and is responsible for media relations and press releases including our Monthly Market Statistics. Katie is also the staff liaison for the Member Value and Communications committee and the Foundation Board of Directors. She graduated from Millersville University in 2022 with a Bachelor's Degree, majoring in Speech Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and a Minor in English Journalism. While at Millersville she was a goalkeeper on the field hockey team, Opinion Editor for the school newspaper, and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) National Leadership Honor Society. In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball, completing jigsaw puzzles, and of course spending quality time with her three adorable cats, Marshmallow, Shadow and Speeder.