IREM President’s Message: Fostering community connections during the holiday season

The holidays are again taking center stage, and with them comes an opportunity for multifamily communities to connect with the businesses and organizations in their cities and towns, fostering a sense of unity and generosity during this “giving season.”

Local businesses know what it means to give throughout the year – from supporting charitable drives to sponsoring school sports teams, and much more. “Shop local” should be more than just a catch phrase. Many small stores count on the fourth quarter to make up for slumps in business during the year…and owners often go to the extra expense of decorating and ordering special seasonal stock that will appeal to customers for a short time only. 

True, we live in an age when shopping online has made lives easier for some, but our local store owners depend on neighborhood trade. Shopping within the community can help boost the local economy and serve to “give back” to those small business owners who are there to meet our needs year round. 

Multifamily communities can also take a page from the local business playbook by partnering with area charities to organize food, toy, or clothing drives. Property managers can take the lead by organizing volunteer opportunities for residents to participate in community service projects, like serving meals at shelters or visiting nursing homes. 

No matter the seasonal celebration, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, let’s all try to give of ourselves a little bit more. 

And speaking of the holiday season, the IREM Boston Chapter’s annual Holiday Celebration is just around the corner on Wednesday, December 4^th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. The Holiday Celebration Event will include the new members installation, the 2024 Chapter Awards Night, the 2025 Officers and BOD’s Installation, the Year-end Dinner/Network celebration, and a US Marine Toys for Tots fundraiser. For more information, please visit www.iremboston.org

Chris Salamanis-Rivera is the 2024 IREM Boston Chapter president and vice president of learning and development at Beacon Communities, Lynn, Mass.