Archive for the ‘compassion’ Category

Small Steps Gets a Giant Donation from Intero

By Kristen Para | November 23rd, 2009 0 Comments

In our blog below, Gino Blefari, founder and CEO of Intero Real Estate Services, discusses the Intero Foundation and the $1,367,365 donation to local charities.  A lot of Intero Realtors have donated large sums for the Intero Foundation to decipher which nonprofits will be most receptive and deserving of the funds.  The Foundation has made an impact close to home, and I was lucky enough to see the benefits that it brings to the community.

Serving over 375 children with help from over 400 volunteers, Intero Foundation donated $15,000 to Hollister’s annual nonprofit Small Steps Shopping Trip.  Every year before the chilly weather starts kicking into full gear, underprivileged children get the opportunity to shop at Hollister’s Target and Payless Shoe Source to find shoes and a jacket within a budget.

At 6 AM I was all registered and lined up with the other shopper volunteers waiting to be paired up with a boy or girl ranging from all ages under 18.  I was matched up with a grateful 7th grader from a local middle school, and he was very prepared with a list of items he wanted to get with correct sizes.  He scooped out the stores the night before with his mom to see all that he can buy and get out in a jiffy.  By the end of our trip he was beginning to look like Santa Clause with his shopping bags full of two pairs of shoes, two pairs of pants, a winter jacket, and two packages of socks.  He was prepared for a cold winter, but you can tell his heart was warm with love and thankfulness by his smiles.

After we parted ways, you cannot help but get a warm fuzzy feeling inside that makes your eyes teary.  I might not have been able to donate $15,000 for Small Steps to impact hundreds of children, but I sure made a difference to one child.  I want to thank the Intero Foundation for not only making such a generous donation to a repeating successful event, but for the opportunity to personally change a life.

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Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | February 15th, 2009 0 Comments

Never underestimate the power of your actions…with one small gesture you can change a person’s life, for better or for worse.

Good Morning MOJO ,

Someone sent this to me and it hit me right in the heart.  I know it is a bit of a long MOJO , but it is definitely worth it…

One day , when I was a freshman in high school , I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school…his name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself , why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd.

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon) , so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking , I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.  They ran at him , knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.  His glasses went flying , and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.  My heart went out to him , so I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses , and I saw a tear in his eye.  As I handed him his glasses , I said , “Those guys are jerks.  They really should get lives.” He looked at me and said , “Hey thanks! ‘” There was a big smile on his face.  It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.  I helped him pick up his books , and asked him where he lived. As it turned out , he lived near me , so I asked him why I had never seen him before.  He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home , and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.  He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle , the more I liked him , and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came , and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said , “Boy , you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!” He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years , Kyle and I became best friends.  When we were seniors , we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.  I knew that we would always be friends…that the miles would never be a problem.  He was going to be a doctor , and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn ‘t me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day , I saw Kyle.  He looked great…he was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.  He filled out and actually looked cool in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.  Boy , sometimes I was jealous.  Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So , I smacked him on the back and said , “Hey , big guy…you ‘ll be great!”  He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. “ ‘Thanks” he said.

As he started his speech , he cleared his throat , and began. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years…your parents , your teachers , your siblings , maybe a coach , but mostly your friends.  I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.”

“I am going to tell you a story”…

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.  He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn ‘t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.  He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.  “Thankfully , I was saved.  My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.”  I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome , popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.  I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.  

Not until that moment did I realize its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions…with one small gesture you can change a person ‘s life , for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other ‘s lives to impact one another in some way.  Look for God in others.

Make it a POWERFUL week!!!!!!


Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | November 9th, 2008 0 Comments

At one point in their life wrote a blank check Made payable to The United States of America for an amount of “up to and including my life??

Good Morning MOJO,

Tomorrow is Veterans Day and for this week’s MOJO I would simply like to thank all of our Veterans for their service and sacrifice.  With all of the stress and uncertainty many currently feel, it is not even close…

This is a great story…

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.  It was going to be a long flight.  “I’m glad I have a good book to read.  Perhaps I will get a short nap”, I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.  I decided to start a conversation.  “Where are you headed?” I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.  “Chicago…to Great Lakes Base.  We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Iraq”

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars.  It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.  As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.  “No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch.  Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks.  I’ll wait till we get to Chicago”.  His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers.  None were buying lunch.  I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.  “Take a lunch to all those soldiers.”  She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.  Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.  “My son was a soldier in Iraq…it’s almost like you are doing it for him”.  Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.  She stopped at my seat and asked, “Which do you like best – beef or chicken?”  “Chicken,” I replied, wondering why she asked.  She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.  “This is your thanks.”

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.  A man stopped me.  “I saw what you did.  I want to be part of it.  Here, take this.”  He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was  not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of  the plane.  When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, “I want to shake your hand.”   Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand.  With a booming voice he said, “I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.  Once, someone bought me a lunch.  It was an act of kindness I never forgot.”  I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs.  A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine.  He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane.  Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word.  Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.  I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars.  “It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich.  God Bless You.”

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.  As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return.  These soldiers were giving their all for our country.  I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little…A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life wrote a blank check Made payable to The United States of America for an amount of “up to and including my life”. That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

Make it a Powerful week and remember to thank and show respect to our Veterans who have made the life we live possible.