IREM Support the Troops Drive
Benefiting Overseas Military Personnel Serving the USA During the Holidays
To:
From:
Date:
Re:
All Support the Troops Participants
IREM Houston Community Involvement Committee
September 11, 2014
Annual IREM Holiday Troop Support Drive
Over the last few years, IREM Houston volunteers and their “Support the Troops” program
has provided over 1,200 Texas-based military personnel who are serving overseas with a
holiday package filled with much appreciated holiday greetings and gifts from home.
We are currently holding our annual “Support the Troops” drive beginning September 11
and ending October 31, 2014. We believe it is especially important to remember those who
protect our freedoms and whose selfless sacrifice allow us to spend each day living our
lives in the manner of our choosing.
We need your help. To reach our goal of sending holiday packages to 200 Texas-based
service members overseas, we encourage each of you to partner with your tenants, vendors,
local civic organizations, employees, co-workers or residents to solicit donations of goods
or cash for our collection efforts.
To assist you, sample documents and an outline to plan your event are enclosed:



Sample solicitation letter for tenants/group/residents/team
Sample thank-you letter
Sample flyer to help promote the drive at your property/office/group
function
IREM will gratefully accept monetary donations or goods from the attached wish list. ALL
donations are helpful and appreciated.
Should you have any questions, please contact IREM Houston at 713-783-9225.
Planning A Troop Support Drive On Your Property
Pre-Planning:
1) Prepare and send out personalized solicitation letters to tenant contacts/tenant
principals/team members in advance of the 1st day of your event. Refer to the attached
sample letter.
2) Publish the event in the building or group’s newsletter (if available).
3) Select a secure, highly visible site / high traffic area to collect donations.
4) Determine and obtain the type of collection "box" that would work best for your site.
Some ideas to consider: a table with a table-skirt, a large decorated box or see-through
container.
5) Pre-print receipts for those who wish to donate via cash or check. If you choose to
accept cash donations, please be sure to gather contact information so the donation may
be recognized and a follow up thank you note may be sent.
6) Post, fax, or in some other manner, remind your tenants / group members about the
SUPPORT THE TROOPS DRIVE on the Friday before the event begins and again in
the middle of the event to remind them of the final day to participate.
The Event/Drive:
1) If possible, where drives are held in office buildings, Management Staff (the property
manager and/or any other management personnel) should be at the collection site
during, or for some period of, the building's lunch hour. Saying hello and actively
asking tenants for donations dramatically increases participation and is also a great
opportunity to become more familiar with your clients. Provide friendly reminders to
busy executives that we will graciously accept checks made payable to IREM.
2) If no one is available to man the collection site, you will want to publicize that checks
will be accepted at the management office or provide an address for checks to be
mailed.
After the Event/Drive
1) Send thank you notes for all contributions. Refer to the provided sample letter.
2) Wrap up your event / drive by the end of October and make sure all funds and/or
contributions are sent to IREM.
3) Publicize your success on social media sites and within your company/property
newsletter.
YOUR COMPANY LETTERHEAD
(insert date)
Tenant Name
Title
Company
Address
City
Dear
:
The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Houston Chapter volunteers will once again show off their patriotism
through our “Support the Troops” program. This important program has provided nearly 1,200 Texas-based military
personnel overseas with holiday packages filled with greetings and gifts from home.
Our annual “Support The Troops” drive begins September 11 and ends October 31, 2014. Our care packages will be sent
to the troops so they arrive in time for the holidays. We believe it is especially important to remember those who protect
our freedoms and whose selfless sacrifice allow us to spend each day living our lives in the manner of our choosing.
This year’s goal is to send two hundred (200) holiday packages to Texas-based service members and we need your help.
We are reaching out to local businesses and leaders to assist us in achieving this goal.
Please join The IREM Houston Chapter in showing your appreciation to our men and women heroes serving on the
frontlines overseas this holiday season. You and your company can help in several ways. Please consider soliciting
donations from your employees to provide items from the attached wish list. Single travel-sized items in large quantities
(increments of 25) are most helpful (i.e. 25 individual size hand sanitizers, 50 toothbrushes, 75 packs of chewing gum, 100
individual packets of hot cocoa mix, etc.). For those with little time to shop, our committee is happy to accept monetary
donations and do the needed shopping. All donations are helpful and appreciated.
We will have a drop off location set up for donations at:
(Insert your properties details on drop off or collection location. Include time and dates.)
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Your support is very much appreciated. Together we can offer our
thanks and gratitude to service men and women who truly make a difference in our lives every day.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Title
FEEL FREE TO USE THESE EXCERPTS IN YOUR PROMOTIONS
Thank you notes from former care-package recipients:
"I would like to take a moment to Thank You all for the care packages that you sent to C 1/91. We were
all very excited to receive them and the guys instantly began opening the boxes. You see, our Mothers
are not here to tell us to wait for Christmas so we don't. But seriously, it means a lot to all of us over here
knowing that there is so much support for us while we spend the holidays away from our loved ones. I
Thank You all for everything that you have done and wish you Happy Holidays."
"I, along with my fellow soldiers received care packages from all of you back home. We would like to say
thank you for the dedication and support to our cause. As this war on terror winds down, keep in mind
that it had not yet come to a close. We still experience casualties out here, and being the medic I see
plenty of this. Your support goes farther than you may ever be able to imagine in maintaining and
improving the morale of my platoon here. Again thank you for your support and even more for your
prayers."
"I am currently deployed to Afghanistan. I have been over here about 6 months now. Today we received
three huge boxes from your organizations. I am just writing to say thank you. We greatly appreciate you
putting in the effort to raise donations, purchase items, and mail them to us overseas. I shared all of the
contents of the boxes with about 40 other Soldiers. We are very grateful to all of you for remembering us
through this holiday season. While nothing can replace being home with our families, your gifts certainly
help to make things easier. Thank you again! I wish you all the best during this holiday season. It was a
great boost of morale for everyone here."
"On behalf of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division currently in the Middle East. I just want
to say thank for taking time to put forth such an effort in support of Soldiers overseas. Many times people
will always show or want to say thank you to us. We Soldiers want to return the favor and let you know
that we thank all of you for giving us joy this Holiday Season. You have clearly gone out of your way for
us and supported us for the last 11 years of War. We do it because of people like all of you. I gave the
Soldiers everything in the box and nothing will be wasted. We appreciate everything you do."
YOUR COMPANY LETTERHEAD – THANK YOU
(insert date)
Tenant Name
Title
Company
Address
City
Dear
:
Please accept our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your contribution to benefit Texas-based service
members serving in Iraq and/or Afghanistan.
With your assistance, IREM Houston Chapter and volunteers provided two hundred (200) holiday packages
to our active military personnel overseas. It's exciting and gratifying to see how together, we can make a
difference in the lives of others.
Thank you again for your participation and support.
Sincerely,
Name
Title