Surrey, B.C. – Amid the flurry of winter weather, last-minute Christmas shopping, work and family, there is one constant: volunteers like Baljit Singh Sandhu pause in their busy lives to provide comfort and care to society’s most vulnerable. For four hours, almost every week for the past 14 years, Baljit has volunteered at the Surrey Memorial Hospital lending an ear and offering guidance to patients and visitors. He has also served as an Area Coordinator in the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive since 2004.
The Blanket Drive ran from November 13 – 20, 2018 in the Lower Mainland collecting approximately 40,000 pieces of clothing, blankets and sleeping bags for the homeless and working poor. As an Area Coordinator, Baljit gathered contributions from four realty offices, sorted and delivered items to the Surrey Urban Mission and the Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“This year, our office (Sutton Group – West Coast Realty in Surrey) collected 50 bags of assorted clothing, including 15 brand new pairs of gloves,” says Baljit. “We also purchased 71 new winter jackets for donation to the Surrey Memorial Hospital, which is 26 more than last year.”
The hospital was very grateful to receive the coats for their homeless patients, who often seek medical care simply because of cold weather. Doctors and nurses prefer to discharge these patients with warm clothing to prevent similar health issues. This frees up medical personnel to attend to emergencies.
Baljit began volunteering at the Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2005, where his multilingual and people skills make him very valuable to staff and visitors. He has visited with palliative care patients, offered comfort and distraction to patients undergoing the four to five-hour dialysis treatments, volunteered in the Intensive Care Unit and more recently has served as a wayfinder stationed at the reception area. He directs visitors through the vast facility and provides wheelchairs and helping hand to those who require more assistance.
Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 7,500 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide. To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com. To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.
Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. Contact:
Gabrielle Giroux
604-691-1655
Sutton Group – West Coast Realty Contact:
Baljit Singh Sandhu
604-572-3005
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