Reinhart Realtors Gift Card Drive Raises More than $18,000 for Saline Area Social Service

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the community, Reinhart Realtors in Saline, Reinhart Charitable Foundation and company match, $18,284.00 was raised during the Oct. 23 community Gift Card event for Saline Area Social Service. 

This fundraiser invited community members to donate gift cards or monetary donations during the single-day event to help SASS meet the urgent needs of those who are facing food insecurity and financial challenges, problems that in many cases have been worsened by the pandemic.

Encouraging community giving during the day of the fund drive, The Reinhart Charitable Foundation and company also pledged a 50 percent match for the first $10,000 raised, allowing donors to increase the impact of their gifts. With 100 percent of the raised funds donated to SASS, these donations will directly be dedicated towards emergency aid and holiday program food and gifts for community members in need.

"With the ongoing support from The Reinhart Charitable Foundation to help raise funds, our office is committed to supporting our local community,” said Elke Van Dyke, event organizer and charity representative for Reinhart Realtors in Saline. “SASS remains our spotlight charity and since nearly 100% of their funds is sourced from community donations, we want to help as much as possible so that SASS can continue providing essential services in our community."

Receiving nearly 100 percent of its funding from community donations, SASS is the only organization in Saline providing comprehensive short- and long-term emergency relief to clients within the Saline Area School District. From its premises in a historic house on West Michigan Avenue, SASS supplies up to 10 meals in groceries every week to approximately 300 individuals who live within the boundaries of the Saline School District and need support. SASS also offers clients emergency relief assistance for utility shut off, rent evictions, prescriptions, and gas for doctor’s appointments. At major holidays, families receive food baskets for a celebratory meal, gifts and personal necessities. For services that SASS doesn’t offer directly, the staff at Saline Area Social Service utilizes their extensive list of resources to help its clients with appropriate referrals. Nearly half of the clients whom SASS serves are children, and almost 20 percent of the adults served are senior citizens, many dependent entirely on Social Security checks.

“Saline Area Social Service greatly appreciates the continued support from the Saline community, for the involvement and partnership of the Reinhart Charitable Foundation and everyone at Reinhart Realtors for committing to making this day of fundraising a success on our behalf,” said Anne Cummings, Executive Director at Saline Area Social Service. “With the help of the community’s support, SASS will be able to continue the programs and services to our clients and SASS is better positioned to support our clients in this pandemic year, especially as the number of families and individuals in-need of emergency aid continue to increase.”

The next fundraiser for Saline Area Social Service will be the Reinhart Realtors Saline office #GivingTuesday event on Tuesday, Dec. 1, which will include a 100 percent match opportunity from the Reinhart Charitable Foundations for the first $10,000 raised in donations on this day. "We are now in the process of planning our annual #GivingTuesday event, the notorious Cookie Bake Sale, which raised $60,000 for SASS last year,” says VanDyke. “Similar to the October Fall Gift Card Fundraiser, this event will be outside at our Reinhart Saline office at 1020 E Michigan Avenue to maintain safety for all donors on December 1st. We look forward to seeing the community again and encourage everyone’s help to make this event a huge success again this year!"

The Reinhart Charitable Foundation

The Reinhart Charitable Foundation champions both volunteerism and fundraising for organizations that provide a positive impact on the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Phone: (734) 216-0540

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ReinhartCharitableFoundation/about/?ref=page_internal

About Saline Area Social Service

Saline Area Social Service (SASS) is a private, tax-exempt non-profit organization that has been in the community for over 50 years and serves the most vulnerable students, families, senior citizens and working poor that live in the Saline Area School District. With approximately 1,000 Saline area families living below poverty level and 650 students receiving free or reduced lunch every day, it’s SASS’s mission to provide short and long term aid, directly and through referrals, to its clients in need.

Website: salineareasocialservice.com

Phone: (734) 429-4570

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Saline-Area-Social-Services

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