"What an eye-opening experience!" was the reaction when 15 volunteers from BostonAREIA met on Friday morning, February 6. The group got together to help paint some of the facilities at Rosie's Place, a Boston women's sanctuary on Harrison St.

Rosies Place is a sanctuary for poor and homeless women who have nowhere else to turn. Established in 1974, Rosie's Place is committed to welcoming each guest with respect and unconditional love. Rosie's Place accepts no government funds and relies instead on committed volunteers and private supporters to accomplish its effective and innovative work. Rosie's.org

First we unloaded a car full of "care packages" - donations of toiletries and clothing purchased by other BostonAREIA members at the monthly meetings. Then, the group split in half, with one group going two blocks down to paint hallways in another building, and the first group staying in the main building. Each group was supervised by a "pro". Special thanks to Derek LaCourciere from CertaPro Painters and Jim Happnie for taking the lead and keeping us on track. Although they manage painting crews for a living, they took off this day to volunteer their time and energy to supervise us and show us how it's done!

Derek also supplied materials and t-shirts, along with ladders and tarps. Sherwin Williams supplied the paint and we appreciate their ongoing support of our efforts and of real estate investors nationwide through the National Reia discount program. (See membership benefits for more information on the HUGE discounts that Sherwin Williams provides to REIA members.)

It was a great opportunity to connect with members that we didn't know very well before that day, and to get a sense of accomplishment for a job well done. After painting two multi-floor stairwells, the group packed it up and adjourned to the local pizza parlor, where Jim Rich did his best to beat the Guiness World Book record for the most slices of pizza consumed at one sitting.

We all agreed that the experience had changed our outlook a little, and many of us volunteered on the spot to do it again. Stay tuned for more opportunities to help BostonAREIA help Rosie's Place! Next: a drive to collect more toiletry items.

Boston AREIA Launch

National Lobbyist Barry Lefkowitz encourages the members and investors of Boston AREIA to unite and take a stand against the negative persona of investors in the legislature.

"You know, this is what I do, I come in contact with many different REIA Groups. And this launch, bar none, was the best launch of any REIA I have ever seen!” Barry Lefkowitz, Natl REIA Lobbyist

Electricity was in the air as 150+ investors from the Boston Area poured into the Hilton Garden in for the launch of the Boston Area Real Estate Investors Association. High attendance was expected, however the number in attendance topped the charts as this quickly became a “Standing Room Only” Event! Networking abounded and deals were shared as the first meeting of the Boston AREIA kicked off!

"It is an exciting time to be an investor, and that was evident in the room last night. As a new investor I feel confident that I can find help with any deal in our group. Great speakers, no sales pitches, very enjoyable. See you next month." Patrick John Hagan, Member

You all did a GREAT job! I've been going to real estate club meetings for a very long time, and I'm impressed with what I saw last night! I look forward to many more meetings in the future. Cindy DiLoreto, Member