TROOP SUPPORT: The Rhode Island Association of Realtors’ Troop Support Task Force hopes to help ease the burden shared by nearly 5,000 school-age children of military families living in Rhode Island by bringing support services to Rhode Island through the Military Child Education Coalition.

The coalition is a nonprofit, worldwide organization whose goal is to level the educational playing field for military children and to serve as a model for all highly mobile children.

The Realtors association hopes to raise $15,000 to bring a coalition program to Rhode Island. This accredited and certified professional development training program is geared to increasing the awareness of educators across the state about the issues facing school-age military children. Educators will receive the latest research and experience-based training on how to recognize and respond to their specific needs. The institute has been conducted 56 times in 31 states for more than 2,200 educators.

As part of an ongoing fundraising campaign for the coalition, Realtors will staff two booths at the Quonset Air Show, June 28 and 29, at the Quonset Air National Guard Base in North Kingstown. Special Realtor pins are also being sold to raise money for the cause.

For more information, to volunteer or donate to the Troop Support Task Force, contact Arthur Yatsko at Art_Yatsko@yahoo.com or Becky Moniz at bekimon@cox.net. Checks should be made out to MCEC.

The task force was created last year to show appreciation and support to military families.

CERTIFICATIONS RECEIVED: Dennis DaSilva, broker/owner of RE/MAX Total Real Estate and Realtor George Desrosiers have completed the Loss Mitigation Certification Program through the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and are certified in loss mitigation on both the buying and listing side.

The new certification course through the Massachusetts Association of Realtors is taught by national and local experts in loss mitigation and teaches real-estate agents how to work effectively with complicated transactions involving foreclosures, short sales, properties at auction or bank-owned properties.