(l to r) Tracey Carlstedt, Julie Kellenberger, Natalee Dismuke, Candace Neal, Gus Harshburger, Pat Pazy, Wanda Brost, Jeff Brost, Valerie Maulson, Lauren Williams and Michael Simpson.

Members of the REALTOR® Association of the Fox Valley (RAFV) volunteered to help the Salvation Army for several projects in Elgin and Aurora during November and December.

RAFV members helped the Salvation Army distribute food to Elgin and Aurora families for their Thanksgiving dinners. “The work was hard and the air was cold but the gratitude we received from all we helped that day made it well worth it,” said Lisa Ayers, director of RAFV communications and social media.

In December, several offices such as Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell in Geneva and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Starck Real Estate collected toys and gifts for needy families in the Angel Tree program. RAFV also provided hours of help distributing Angel Tree gifts to families at the Elgin and Aurora Salvation Army locations.

During this holiday season, RAFV members helped the Salvation Army Elgin and Aurora serve and make the holidays brighter for over 10,000 children and families in the Aurora and Elgin communities.

Officers are: President Betty Ebert-Rylko (Baird & Warner, St. Charles), President-Elect Mark Coleman (Coleman Land Company, St. Charles), Treasurer Michael Simpson (Lifestyles Real Estate, Inc., Elgin) and Secretary Renee Naffziger (Baird & Warner, St. Charles). Chris Studebaker is the chief executive officer.

(This is the 16th in a series about the charitable community work performed by local Illinois REALTOR® associations and local offices during the last two months of 2016. Previous stories were about the Capital Area, Champaign County,  Egyptian, Greater Gateway, Kankakee Iroquois Ford, Lamoine Valley, Livingston County, North Shore-Barrington, Northwestern Illinois, Peoria Area, Quad City, Rockford Area, Southwestern Illinois associations, as well as the Chicago YPN and the RE/MAX Traders Unlimited office in Peoria. To share a story idea, contact [email protected].)