As the days grow longer and spring sets in, many homeowners are turning their attention to seasonal cleanup. For some, those tasks can be difficult to manage alone. Now, community volunteers are stepping in to help neighbors in need get their homes and yards ready for the season.
“Oh my lord, makes me happier, I think a bit of heaven is on earth,” said Helena resident Patricia Buerman.
(WATCH: United Way's "Spirit of Service" helps immobile homeowners with spring yard work)
In its 5th year, the Spirit of Service is a spring community clean-up day, where volunteers work with United Way to help elderly homeowners like Patricia Buerman, people with disabilities, and veterans who have difficulty moving around get their homes ready for the summer.
“We often get calls, ‘Hey, I need this help, is there anybody out there that can do this?’ and we felt like springtime is a great time to mobilize local groups and get them connected with folks that need this kind of help, so it's a win-win for everybody,” said United Way community impact coordinator Jeff Buscher.
This year, United Way has over 200 volunteers and 18 different locations, with 8-12 volunteers per site, getting long-awaited work done in just a couple of hours.
Projects and repairs range from painting, fixing decks, hedge trimming, and others that would be a challenge for some community members.
“Oh my lord, I couldn’t do it at all,” Buerman stated. “If I had to hire for it, which I have in the past, just to clean the gutters was $700.”
For homeowners, repairs are free - sponsorships from organizations around the community cover the cost.
The event doesn’t just help neighbors with manual labor, but builds connections that go far beyond simple yardwork, which residents take to heart.
“Gratitude, delight, wonderful to belong to a community of service and recognition of need,” Buerman said.
“We visited with her,” said volunteer Alana Listoe. “That was the best part. One of my coworkers lives nearby and has already told her that she'd be stopping by periodically to visit now, so that's lovely. New friends, new friendships formed.”
Volunteers we spoke with were more than happy to offer their time and service, striving to set an example for others to follow.
“I think it's our duty as humans to give back to each other, that's what makes the world go round,” Listoe said. “Coming together as a human race for each other is what the world needs right now more than anything.”
