Boston, MA The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) is stepping up to support communities nationwide during the COVID-19 crisis. SIOR set up the Community Assistance and Relief in Emergencies (CARE) program to provide immediate support for nonprofit and philanthropic services across the country. Many organizations such as food banks, shelters, school food distribution centers, and emergency medical organizations, require additional space to operate and meet the needs of their communities. As experts in commercial real estate with unmatched connections locally, regionally and across the country, SIORs are uniquely positioned to quickly find the space that these groups desperately need.
Through the CARE program, a nonprofit will be able to quickly engage with SIOR via a newly launched webpage: SIOR.COM/CARE. The user will be able to share contact information, their organization’s circumstances, and their specific needs. From there, SIOR members within the appropriate geographical region will be quickly notified of the request and will be able to provide advice, contacts, or if applicable, direct the person to a property owner(s) who can help accommodate the group’s needs. Through CARE, an organization searching for a commercial real estate space can quickly get up and running, helping their neighbors in a matter of days or even hours.
Independent of the CARE program, SIORs across the globe are being called upon to make contact with nonprofit groups in their neighborhoods to see how they can assist - a responsibility that SIOR has assumed since it’s inception.
“SIOR has a history of stepping up in times of crisis,” said SIOR Global president Mark Duclos. “Our organization was founded during World War II with the goal of assisting the United States Government in fulfilling critical space needs. Today, we are in a new global crisis, one that calls upon all of us to do our part. SIORs are the best at what we do and there has never been a more important time to use our knowledge, resources, and network to help our nation get through this together.”
Duclos himself has been in contact with a food bank in the Hartford, CT region that serves multiple counties. The food bank’s manager was struggling to find people to distribute goods and to help overcome the problem, she was considering setting up multiple drop spots where residents could pick up their food. But to do this, warehouse spaces around the region would need to be found and contacted. After Duclos shared what SIOR does and what he could do to help, the manager was thrilled to have someone offer support for a problem that would have been extremely difficult to overcome without extensive contacts in local commercial real estate.
Stories like this are why the CARE program has been created. SIOR is committed to providing this critical assistance, so that going forward, nonprofits will be able to efficiently serve those who need help the most.
“We all have an obligation to reach out in the community, identify where and how we can facilitate support, and rally together to share ideas,” said Duclos. “This is our call to duty and chance to step up to demonstrate why SIORs are leaders in the industry and in their communities, and do our part!”
If a community support group like those outlined above is in need of help, advice, or contacts that can provide assistance in locating an appropriate commercial space, they are encouraged to visit the CARE website today.
