Since 2014, the ARA of Michigan has been offering Operation Snowball, an opportunity for rental operators to give back to members of their community. This past year’s effort was another success.
“This program was started by Dave Gill, who was president of Rentals Unlimited, Traverse City, and an active member on the ARA of Michigan board. Since his passing, the ARA of Michigan has kept it going in his name. We offer 10 spots. The rental operators fill out a form highlighting who they would like to assist. The rental operator donates $100 and the ARA of Michigan matches that donation for the rental operator to help out someone in need. With the pandemic, there were a lot of families in need. This past year, just like in previous years, the spots filled up quickly,” says Sue Irwin, vice president, Delux Rental, Ypsilanti, Mich., and ARA of Michigan president.
Irwin, who has participated in the program since the beginning, was the first rental operator to sign up for it this year, according to Scott Nicklas, sales/marketing manager, Snorkel, who serves as the ARA of Michigan associate member director.
Nicklas has been the state chapter’s point person on this program for the last three years. “I think it is a great way to give back to the communities that support our ARA of Michigan members. It is just a nice thing to do this time of year. Especially during this COVID-19 crisis that we have been living through, I am sure there are some families who could use a little boost,” he says, adding that the ARA of Michigan “never has any problem filling those slots.”
One Michigan rental operator who took one of the 10 slots was Paige Carpenter, general manager, Rentalex of Michigan.
“This is our second year of participating in the program,” Carpenter says. “Our employees think this is really cool. I think it is a really great, unique way for the association and the members to give back and help local people who are in need. Giving back is an important thing that we can do as a small business. We want to do as much as we can. In addition to this program, we provide a lot of donations and offer sponsorships of local events, too.”
This year, the team at Rentalex helped a woman who is in temporary housing and hoping to find something more permanent. “She was referred to us by one of our employees. She doesn’t have a lot of items to use to prepare a hot meal, so we helped out with that, providing some cookware and small appliances such as a toaster oven, microwave and those types of things,” Carpenter says.
Carpenter presented the items to the woman right before Christmas. “She was very surprised and happy. She said our items would help her tremendously,” Carpenter says.
Gary Booms, president, Booms Rent-All, Bad Axe, Mich., and ARA of Michigan secretary, has been participating in the program for years. For the past three years, he has been offering his contribution and ARA of Michigan matching funds to the Good Fellows charity, which was founded in 1917 for the purpose of offering emergency assistance to families in need.
“I learned about this group through my membership in the Lions Club and Knights of Columbus,” Booms says. “This group sponsored 50 families at Christmas. Our donations helped with the 50 Christmas food baskets they gave to those families.”
“We are always looking to help out our community,” he adds. “There are lots of organizations that have programs like this. We try to partner with them as a way to help people in need, especially during the holidays. It just makes you feel good that you are able to help and give a little back to people in need.”
Booms appreciates the ARA of Michigan’s assistance in helping rental operators give back even more to their communities. “It just shows how much the ARA of Michigan cares about our communities and how it wants to partner with local rental businesses to help their local communities. The program benefits ARA rental businesses and the communities they serve,” he says.