There is an organization called the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals.
Or REP or REP.
I'm not good sure where you put the emphasis on the salable, but Jeff Zorb is joining me to talk about it as he is an integral part of the leadership team over there.
Jeff, how you doing today?
Hi Nnie, thanks for having us on again today.
Well, you guys, what do you do?
First of all, obviously this is an organization based on your name of veterans who are also real estate professionals. I'm guessing that I got that correct. How did this all come about? Where did the organization come from?
So the organization has turned in twenty eleven in California and they started forming chapters all over the country. There's currently thirty four chapters across the country. We're really fortunate in Colorado that we have three. We have a welt CO chapter Denver and at Carlo Springs as well.
Oh, that's fantastic.
In my mind, a lot of things about the military would probably make you a very good real estate professional. Do you find that that translates well.
Most of the time? However, how do I say this nicely? There is the civilian.
Factor okay, okay, the civilian factor, we'll leave it at that. You guys have kind of events and specials so you can provide services to the veterans community.
Tell me about that aspect of Varrope.
So our focus is really sustainable housing and assisting veterans through the process of the Veterans of VA loan.
Right.
Part of that is educating. We educate our real estate community in the VA home loan. Veterans and active duty military are now a protected class in the state of Colorado as of twenty twenty two. There's a lot of myths and misnomers out there about the VA home loan and we're trying to do what we can through our real estate community to educate them as they're the feet on the ground, right, They're the experts that are helping
our our heroes. So the other aspect of that is philanthropic and what we do as a chapter in Denver, we've partnered with the VA hud Vash program that assists veterans struggling with homelessness at different stages of that process. The hud Vash will provide a seventy percent voucher to cover the rents if you will for a veteran. We step in and help with household essentials, beds, kitchen stuff, I mean, whatever we go home and use on a daily basis. These veterans don't have, so we try to
supply that through that program. We realize that many of these veterans have families. Many of these veterans have kids, and because of the struggles that they have financially, those kids weren't you know, didn't really have a Christmas. So about four years ago we started Kids for Christmas through the Sponsor our Vet program. Last year we were able to fulfill the Christmas wishes of one hundred and eleven kids of veterans through their program. So we actually get
the Christmas wish lists of those kids. We partner with Walmart and we go shopping literally fulfill those lists.
I got to tell you, I've had the opportunity to do stuff like this in the past. Let's just admit it, Jeff, this is more for you than it is for them, because being able to fulfill Christmas wifts, you know, Christmas wishes for kids is one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever had.
It's the most.
Fun, it's fantastic, and I love that these are veterans' kids that are being helped by this, and how are you raising money for it?
Let's talk about Saturday night.
So Saturday, one of the things that we do is a quarterly poker game. Saturday night, we're having one of those games. We're at JJ's place in Aurora. It's a total relaxed atmosphere. It's not highly competitive. First time poker players can come and join us. It's a lot of fun. Registration starts at five thirty. We are offering a cash
first place prize. All the moneies that we raise as a chapter, those stays locally, well everything since right here on our own community, helping our own veteran community.
Now, there is a forty dollars chip donation. Correct, If you want to get in, you gotta you gotta purchase those chips that that will be a donation to the cause.
Is that correct?
It is? It is a suggested donation since we're a nonprofit, and that that that gets you in the game. You can do additional buy ins or add ons. There'll be opportunities throughout the game to continue. We well go ahead. We also have received a authentic signed bow Nix football jersey that we will be raffling off? Is it boat listening bot five thirty Saturday days?
So you just invite Boa Dad, you know we both leave over here. That's like really cool. I like that a lot that you guys have that jersey. How much space do you have? How many people can you accommodate? I have not been to JJ's place. I know it's Daniel Durinsky's joint, so that's that's cool that you guys are gonna be there. How many people can you accommodate in this tournament?
You know, we're hoping to get between seven and ten tables, so that would be you know, seventy to one hundred people.
Okay. I was like, I have no idea how many? I told you.
Jeff was kind enough to say, hey, come on by, but my daughter's sixteenth birthday party is the same night, so obviously priorities And I'm a terrible gambler, Jeff, do you have a Do you have a prize?
You know, when you go to a golf tournament and.
The people who come in last, they give them like a fishing pole or something. What do you have for the people who go out in the you know, the first round, which is inevitably what I would do.
You know, we don't have anything at this point. I'm not opposed to finding somethingy and call it the commemorative Mansi price.
That's perfect, the Mandy Donald Cup of Losory. I mean, that's I just I'm not a good gambler, and I'm not good at card games, and I don't pay attention, much to the chagrin of my card playing loving husband. You know, I'm the awful partner that nobody wants to have.
All of this is happening tomorrow night at JJ's place, and you can sign up ahead of time online, like you can go ahead and make your donation ahead of time, or you can show up at the door at five thirty and get to be our So the tournament's kicking off at six though, right, so you need to be in the door by five thirty.
Yeah, and you can yeah, five thirty, just start registering. Get game kicks off at six. We'll be done by round ten, okay, kind of keep a hard hard timeline there. You can find out more about our tournament. We also have an upcoming golf tournament at top Golf coming up in September. All of our educational opportunities if you're in the real estate profession, check those out at a V eight rep or.
I need to know how a golf tournament at top Golf works. I need to know because that sounds delightful.
Yeah. They you know, it's all programmed. It's all computerized.
Right.
They actually have a hole in one. They designate one of their holes and you shoot, You buy into it and you shoot and if you get the hole in one. Uh, it's a lot of fun.
I I really appreciate everything you guys are doing.
Jeff.
Jeff's orb from is it VA REP? Is that what you say? I call it very rep rep VA REP.
Wonderful organization.
You can help support veterans' kids at Christmas by playing some poker. Jeff, I hope you guys have a wonderful time at this poker tournament.
Thank you, Mandy. Hope to see you soon.
All right, yes, my friend, we'll see you soon.