More than 20 NAIOP-MD Developing Leaders got into the holiday spirit early by volunteering their time at The Salvation Army of Central Maryland in late November. The group gathered in Baltimore City to sort and pack more than 1000 toys and stockings, which will be distributed to Maryland children and their families later this month.
Developing Leaders Program Chair Michael Tait of St. John Properties together with Merritt Properties’ Dalton Myers and Alex Mawry were responsible for handling all the details to make this community service program a reality.
“We were looking for a partner where the NAIOP-MD Developing Leaders program could make the most impact and ultimately gravitated towards The Salvation Army,” Tait said. “Our partners and committee members have worked with them previously, had a tremendous experience and, through our vetting process, were comfortable that our hard work would generate meaningful results and benefit the local community. It is extremely important to leverage the strength of NAIOP Maryland to pay it forward and help others. Especially for young professionals, it is our duty to learn these valuable lessons now and sustain our philanthropic and community service activities throughout our lives.”
Volunteering to help the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program was an extremely rewarding experience, Myers said. “Sometimes you get wrapped up in the holidays and your usual schedules and don’t stop to think about all of the other people that might be in less fortunate situations. Being able to help distribute these amazing gifts to needy local families, bring joy to those parents, and create holiday magic to those kids is very important to the community, and it feels incredible.”
This was the first Developing Leader event for Andrew Beyrodt, Leasing Representative at Hill Management Services, who called the program a “tremendous bonding experience.”
“Volunteering your time to help others brings a certain level of satisfaction and performing this task with your peers in the commercial real estate industry is extra meaningful,” Beyrodt said. “It is easy to take for granted the things you have, and helping those less fortunate and giving back to our community is something everyone needs to do more often.”
