One of the questions Phyllis and I have been asked most often since announcing the Real Property Management Regions Day of Service has been remarkably simple: “How are you going to choose the veteran family?”
It is a fair question, and if I am honest, it is the one we have spent the most time asking ourselves. As I write this, we still have not selected a family. That is not because we have not begun the process. We have met with our partners at The 516 Project Ministry, started visiting potential projects, and spent time learning more about needs within the communities we serve. We simply have not reached the point where we are ready to make that decision, and we are comfortable saying so publicly.
In a world that often celebrates speed, we have chosen to value something different. Some decisions deserve patience. When the outcome affects a real family rather than simply another business decision, taking a little longer is not a delay. It is part of the responsibility that comes with serving others well.
Last week, I shared why choosing the right partners mattered. Looking back, I realize that conversation naturally led us here. Before volunteers arrive, before materials are delivered, and before the first board is cut, there is a decision that shapes everything else: choosing the family we hope to serve. That responsibility has become just as important to us as the project itself.
Choosing Principles Before Choosing People
One lesson I carried from my military career and my years supporting the Department of Defense is that the most important decisions are rarely made in the moment. They are usually shaped long before the choice presents itself, when leaders establish the principles that will guide them when difficult decisions eventually arrive. That is exactly how we approached this project.
Before we ever discussed names, Phyllis and I spent time talking about what a thoughtful process should look like. We wanted this Day of Service to reflect the same values we hope it communicates: humility, stewardship, fairness, and respect for every veteran and every family involved.
It would have been easy to begin with a list of names. Instead, we began with a list of principles, and that changed the conversation. Rather than asking, “Who should we choose?” we found ourselves asking, “What process would honor every family, including those we ultimately are not able to serve this year?” For us, the process became part of the service.
Stewardship Begins Close to Home
Real Property Management Regions has the privilege of serving families throughout the Virginia Northern Neck, the Middle Peninsula, and Caroline County. Those are not simply markets on a map. They are communities that have trusted us with their homes, their investments, and some of the most important decisions they will make as property owners.
Over the years, we have come to believe that stewardship carries a responsibility beyond the properties we manage. It means investing back into the communities that have invested in us. It also means recognizing that every address represents more than a structure. It represents a family, a history, and a future someone is working hard to protect.
From the beginning, we knew this Day of Service should benefit the same communities we have the privilege of serving every day. We have not selected a community or a family yet, and that is intentional. We are still listening, still learning, and allowing the process to unfold the way it should. Wherever this year’s Day of Service takes us within the communities we proudly serve, we want the decision to reflect stewardship rather than convenience.
“Serving a community is not about geography. It is about stewardship.”
Why We Did Not Make This Decision Alone
While the selection process requires time, one decision came easily: we knew we should not make it alone. One of the reasons Neighborly’s commitment to supporting military members and veterans resonated so deeply with us is because it reflects something we have believed for years: communities become stronger when organizations work together instead of working independently.
Neighborly’s Day of Service initiative reinforced something we already believed, that locally owned businesses can do more than provide a service. They can become active partners in honoring those who have served and strengthening the communities where they live.
That made our partnership with The 516 Project Ministry feel like a natural fit. Long before we announced this initiative, we had watched their team quietly serve families throughout our region with humility, compassion, and consistency. They were not looking for recognition. They were simply showing up, project after project, helping neighbors who needed it most. Over time, they earned something that cannot be manufactured overnight: trust.
As we began planning our own Day of Service, partnering with them was not a strategic calculation. It was a natural alignment of shared values. They understand needs within our communities in ways we never could on our own, and they have built relationships with families, churches, volunteers, and local leaders over many years. Their experience, combined with Neighborly’s vision and the commitment of local businesses willing to step forward, gives this initiative a much stronger foundation than anything we could have built by ourselves.
People Before Projects
There was one decision that never required discussion. From the very beginning, we agreed that people would always come before the project itself. Before there is a volunteer day, there is a family. Before there is a build, there is a home. Before there is a story to tell, there are people whose lives have been shaped by service, sacrifice, and circumstances most of us will never fully understand.
If the family we eventually select chooses to share part of their journey, we will be honored to tell that story alongside them. If they prefer privacy, we will honor that just as enthusiastically.
People are never projects. Their dignity will always matter more than our publicity.
That is not simply a philosophy for this Day of Service. It is a principle we hope guides every decision we make, whether we are serving a property owner, a resident, or a veteran family. If we remain faithful to that principle, we will never lose sight of why this initiative exists in the first place.
A Final Thought
The more I have reflected on this process, the more I have realized this article is not really about choosing one veteran family. It is about how we approach the decisions that matter most. Life rarely presents us with a choice between a right answer and a wrong answer. More often, we are faced with several good options, each carrying its own responsibility. Those are the moments that reveal our values, not because of the decision itself, but because of how we arrive at it.
As of today, we still do not know which family we will have the privilege of serving this September, and I am comfortable with that. Some opportunities are simply too important to rush. If this process has reinforced anything, it is that meaningful service begins long before the first volunteer arrives. It begins with listening, choosing carefully, and remembering that every decision affects people, not projects.
Become Part of the Story
Although we are still working through the selection process, this initiative is already bringing people together. Local businesses have offered support, skilled tradespeople have volunteered their expertise, and neighbors have asked how they can help.
Whether you are a contractor, REALTOR®, local business owner, military family, civic organization, or someone looking for a meaningful way to give back, we would be honored to have you serve alongside us.
Learn More, Volunteer, or Become a Sponsor
You can also explore our ongoing commitment to military families through the Real Property Management Regions Military Relocation Hub.
Coming Next
Part 4 – What People Never See Before a Day of Service
Most people will see one day: volunteers arriving, materials being unloaded, and a community working together toward a common goal. What they will not see are the weeks of planning, project visits, sponsor conversations, material lists, safety considerations, and behind-the-scenes coordination that make that day possible.
We will also share one of the biggest inspirations behind this initiative and how another Neighborly brand demonstrated that meaningful community impact is not built through a single event. It is built by faithfully showing up, year after year, for the people who need it most.
Follow the full journey, read the previous installments, and learn how to get involved through our Community Impact page.
This content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Readers should consult with licensed professionals regarding their specific circumstances.
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