JohnHart Real Estate has received many contest submissions from children who are designing their dream house on a tote bag. (photo courtesy of JohnHart Real Estate)

It has been approximately a week since state and Los Angeles county officials have issued orders to shelter in place and self isolate to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Families and individuals with children might find it difficult to entertain their children amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, Los Angeles-based JohnHart Real Estate has organized a tote bag contest to give kids an activity during this stressful time.

The company, which was established in 2013 and is planning to open a new office near Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, prides itself on its community connections, said Harout Keuroghlian, CEO and founder of JohnHart.

“The tote bag contest is something we thought about a couple of weeks ago,” Keuroghlian said. “It’s to help kids and give parents a break.”

Children are tasked with drawing their dream home using any creative and colorful way they see fit such as glitter, sharpie, paint, stickers, pins or other items. The tote bags are free and will be hand-delivered by employees or by mail to every individual who requests them by emailing totes@jhhre.com.

The email should list the name, address and phone number of the person requesting tote bags. The contest will end on Friday, April 3, at 6 p.m.

The contest is only open to children ages 12 and under. Participants must post a photograph of the decorated tote bag on Facebook and tag JohnHart Real Estate. Additionally, participants must comment the word “done” on a post that is pinned to the top of the  company’s Facebook page.

After the contest deadline, the company will choose the best designs and award a first-place prize of $1,000, a second-place prize of $700 and a third-place prize of $300.

JohnHart Real Estate has done very well throughout the years, and it’s important for the company to step up and give back to the community, especially during such difficult times,  Keuroghlian said.

“There’s a lot of negativity out in the world,” Keuroghlian said. “The other day I was taking a walk with my 3-year-old daughter, and we passed this man who had coughed, and she panicked. [Children] are young, they still see and understand what’s going on, so the contest is about getting a smile out.”

Lisa Delima, a mother of two children, resides along the foothills of Tujunga. She had not previously heard of JohnHart Real Estate until she discovered the contest through a moms group on Facebook and decided to participate.

Delimas’ son Sergio is too young to fully tap into his artistic talents, so he ended up scribbling on his tote bag and creating an abstract dream house on the bag, Delima said. Delima’s daughter Mia, who loves arts and crafts, spent two to three days sketching her house with pencil and eventually coloring, painting and adding glitter to her dream beach house design.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected Delima and her family, just as many others in Los Angeles County. Delima homeschools her children and often takes them on trips to the zoo or museums, but had to change things to stay safe and healthy.

“For the most part, we are doing well,” Delima said. “We were used to our daily time and routine, but now we have to ask ourselves, ‘What can we do?’ It took us a while to get structured again.”

Delima said the contest was a great idea and she’s glad she participated because it was something her kids could do on their own.

“It definitely helps for quite some time to keep the kids entertained,” Delima said. “It gave me a mental break and gave me time to sit on the couch or do some chores.”

She added that structure and routines are important for children because it provides a sense of normalcy.

Lindsey Wallace, a social media manager for JohnHart, shared information about the contest and helped deliver tote bags to participants. She said everyone involved with distribution of the tote bags is handling them with care and following safety protocols such as washing their hands, and wearing gloves and masks.

“Everyone can use a tote bag, and it serves as memorabilia from childhood,” Wallace said. “It’s personal and we are doing this for free, so why not participate? It’s a win-win situation even if you don’t win the prize money.”

For information, visit johnhartrealestate.com.