RbA Cares Cheeriodicals 2019

 RbA Affiliates From Around the Country Volunteer at Annual Retailer Summit

Smiles abound as group delivers "big boxes of cheer" to Miami VA hospital. 

The week of the Renewal by Andersen annual Retailer Summit, held this year in Miami, FL, got off to a heartwarming start as RbA volunteers from all across the North America network partnered with Cheeriodicals to assemble and deliver 200-plus "big green boxes of cheer" to patients at the Miami VA Hospital on January 27. 

This was the third annual Summit Cheeriodicals, and 160+ individuals spent the afternoon assembling the gift boxes, which were filled with items for the veterans, including magazines and activity books, playing cards, a travel kit with essential toiletries, a travel mug embossed with a thank you for their service, and a warm pair of socks and a thick, plush blanket embroidered with a message of gratitude and an American flag. 

A smaller team then helped deliver the gifts to the hospital and met with many of the vets. One of that group was RbA of Houston Vice President Bob Birner, a three-time Cheeriodical participant. “It was truly an honor and privilege to represent our brand and fellow Americans in this event,” Birner says. 

He continues, “You know, one of the patients we visited shared that we made his day in delivering the care package. The irony is that it’s selfless men and women like him who’ve made our way of life and each of our respective days possible. It was very humbling to know that our small act of kindness made these exceptional heroes feel the love from our amazing RbA network!”  

Gary Parisher is the president of Cheeriodicals, “We were thrilled to lead representatives from the Andersen organization in another series of events,” he says (Andersen Corp, Renewal’s parent company, also did a Cheeriodicals event in January). “Their caring and giving professionals truly have impacted our veterans and given them a reason to smile. We have been partnering with Andersen and RbA since early in 2016, and they have helped us deliver thousands of Cheeriodicals.”

Says Cheeriodical participant and Renewal by Andersen president Paul Delahunt, “one of the best things about Renewal by Andersen is how committed our employees are to investing in the communities in which they work and live—they are all truly ‘difference makers.’ To have so many people come together here to work as a team, and bring some smiles to the folks at the VA Hospital…we are so happy and grateful.”