'It's the Windermere way'
LOREN BENOIT/Press John Hagerty fixes up a child’s bike during the 2018 Windermere Community Service Day on Friday. Around 60 Windermere Realty employees and their families volunteered to clean, garden and do house repairs for Children’s Village.
Realtor Mark Whitt, right, and Ross Schoening with Alliance Title help clean a Children's Village van during the 2018 Windermere Community Service Day on Friday. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Realtors Stephan Smith, right, and Brandon Riolo load mulch for plant beds into a wheelbarrow during the 2018 Windermere Community Service Day on Friday at Children's Village. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
Realtor Frank Keiser fixes a bike chain on a kids bike during the 2018 Windermere Community Service Day on Friday at Children's Village. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — Piles of pine needles continued to expand as several Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty agents raked the grounds beneath the shady trees of Children's Village.
"I was thinking about it. We could probably get my house done pretty quick if we had a group like this," Realtor Danny Griffin said, smiling and leaning on his rake for a moment Friday morning. "It’s one of those things that you wish you could do more often."
About 60 Windermere agents and associates were happy to lend their elbow grease to the safe haven for children, which houses and provides care for boys and girls experiencing crisis, neglect, abuse and homelessness.
Children's Village, a nonprofit, is limited on funds and staffing, so the 500-plus hours of labor contributed by the volunteers will leave a lasting, positive impact.
"I don’t even know how to describe it," said Children's Village CEO Mark Wilson. "There have been many times I’ve just stopped and just taken it in and appreciated the blessing of the moment. We couldn’t do the work that we do without this."
In just five hours, Windermere's crews completed projects ranging from planting trees and clearing rain gutters to fixing bicycles, washing vehicles and overall making the place shine from roof to lawn.
This is at least the 22nd year for the Windermere community service day, and many of those annual service days have been spent at Children's Village.
“We’ve been doing this for so many years that we come back now and we see things that we built, we see trees that we planted, we’ve seen some trees that we planted that we’ve taken out,” designated broker Pat Krug said with a laugh. “We see the growth of what’s happening at Children’s Village and the little bit that we do on the inside and outside, so that’s really rewarding too.”
Windermere owner/broker Pepper Smock said they give back to their community because "it's the Windermere way."
"We always come back here because this is where our heart is,” he said. "We love the work."
Wilson said "these guys set the standard."
"That’s what’s so exciting," Wilson said. "It inspires others. They set the bar high.”