This summer, the IREM® Foundation Associate Board helped power the sixth year of the Summer of Service, turning a long-standing tradition of giving back into another season of meaningful impact.
Through the 2026 Summer of Service, 28 projects across 16 IREM chapters, IREM HQ, and Lee & Associates | Houston engaged more than 530 volunteers in communities across the country. From food banks and community cleanups to nonprofit partnerships and neighborhood improvement projects, participants came together to make a difference where they live and work, helping communities thrive through service and local leadership.
While those projects created meaningful community impact, the success of the Summer of Service is also a story of volunteer leadership.
For six years, the program has provided IREM members with a simple but powerful way to give back locally while building thriving communities and stronger connections with one another. What began as a volunteer initiative has grown into a signature Foundation program, and much of that growth can be credited to the leadership and advocacy of the IREM Foundation Associate Board.
The Associate Board has championed the initiative for the past three years. Its members promote the program, share ideas, encourage participation, and inspire chapters and companies to turn good intentions into action. Their efforts have helped transform the Summer of Service from a Foundation program into a movement embraced across the IREM community.
Creating meaningful opportunities for members to engage with the Foundation is one of the Associate Board's core priorities, and the Summer of Service has become one of the clearest examples of that mission in action. By bringing people together in service, the initiative creates local impact while building relationships across the IREM community.
Volunteer service creates a different kind of connection than a meeting or networking event. It celebrates the positive impact real estate professionals make every day while creating opportunities to serve alongside colleagues, industry partners, and community organizations.
Throughout the summer, Associate Board members served as ambassadors for the program, encouraging chapters to host projects, celebrating successes, and maintaining momentum across the country. Because of their leadership, hundreds of volunteers participated in projects that supported local communities while creating memorable experiences for members and chapters alike.
This summer, IREM Maryland had the opportunity to give back through several Summer of Service volunteer projects across their community. One of the most meaningful efforts was a partnership with Comfort Cases, an organization that supports children in the foster care system as they transition from one home to another with dignity and respect.
Comfort Cases provides care packages filled with essential toiletry items, personal belongings, and everyday necessities, ensuring children have something of their own during a difficult and uncertain time.
Together, IREM Maryland members packed more than 500 Comfort Cases for children in need. Through this effort, they were able to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children in foster care while reminding them that they are valued, supported, and cared for.
Coming together around such an important mission demonstrated the chapter's commitment to service and highlighted the power of volunteerism to create positive change. Just as importantly, it provided IREM members with an opportunity to connect with one another while making a difference in the lives of others.
Stories like IREM Maryland's demonstrate what can happen when volunteers are empowered to lead.
Every Summer of Service project starts with a simple idea: identifying a need and bringing people together to address it. Whether supporting a local nonprofit, creating a cleaner environment, or helping families in need, each project shares a common goal: helping communities thrive.
Now in its sixth year, the Summer of Service continues to demonstrate the power of volunteer leadership. The program succeeds because local leaders step forward, rally others around a cause, and transform ideas into positive impact. The Associate Board helps make that happen by serving as champions, connectors, and advocates for service across the IREM community.
Their work reflects the broader value of the Associate Board: bringing energy, creativity, and action to the Foundation's mission. Whether promoting Foundation programs, supporting fundraising efforts, or creating new pathways for engagement, Associate Board members help connect individuals to meaningful ways to make a difference.
As we celebrate another successful Summer of Service, we also celebrate the volunteers who made it possible, especially the Associate Board members whose vision, enthusiasm, and dedication helped drive the initiative forward.
The impact extends far beyond the 28 projects completed or the 530 volunteers engaged. It lives on in the communities served, the relationships built, and the inspiration created for future participation.
As the Summer of Service concludes its sixth year, the momentum continues to grow.
Ready to help your community thrive in 2027? Start planning a Summer of Service project with your chapter, company, or colleagues. Whether you're organizing your first volunteer event or building on past success, there's an opportunity to help your community thrive. Save the date for June 1, 2027, another year of Summer of Service.
Looking for a deeper way to get involved? Consider joining the IREM Foundation Associate Board, where passionate volunteers champion Foundation programs, inspire engagement, and lead initiatives like the Summer of Service.
Together, we can make year seven our biggest and most impactful yet.