For most of his professional life, Dino Tudisca ran a robust snow care operation alongside his home renovation business, Exterior Solutions, in Norwich, Conn. At its peak, his company operated up to 10 snowplows across the region whenever the snow started falling.

But as the years went on, the “glamour” of the snow care business began to fade. This winter, Tudisca shifted his focus almost entirely to home remodeling keeping just a handful of longtime plow clients and continuing to serve four military families through Project EverGreen’s SnowCare for Troops program.

“In general, my enjoyment of plowing snow this year is a lot higher than it’s been for the last 10 years,” Tudisca says. “Basically, I’m doing five of my own driveways and then the four families I’m matched with through SnowCare for Troops. We got completely out of the commercial side, and it’s been very relaxing.”

Located near the New London Submarine Base in southeastern Connecticut, Tudisca has had a steady stream of military families to serve since joining the program in 2010. The base is home to approximately 15 submarines, and at any given time, several are deployed.

More recently, his connection to the military became deeply personal. About a year and a half ago, Tudisca’s daughter married a submarine service member.

“I’ve learned a lot about how it works,” he says. “Deployments can last anywhere from a week to six months, depending on the submarine and the mission.”

Some situations require sailors to deploy on short notice for a week or two, while planned missions last much longer. His son-in-law is currently nearing the end of a six-month deployment.

In an unexpected twist, three of the four SnowCare for Troops families Tudisca serves are connected to that same submarine.

“The husbands are all on my son-in-law’s boat,” he explains. “They’re all fellow crew members, which has given me even more appreciation for the SnowCare for Troops program. Before, it was about doing a good thing to support servicemen and women who are deployed. As someone who never served, this was my way to show appreciation. Now, having it hit so close to home really drives it home.”

Tudisca sees firsthand how different support systems or the lack of them can shape a family’s experience during deployment.

“My daughter lives a mile from the house she grew up in,” he says. “She has her entire family right there – grandparents, aunts, uncles, mom, dad, sister. It’s a huge support system. The other families don’t have that. They’re kind of on an island.”

Snow removal, he notes, is often an unexpected expense for those families one they don’t know how to manage or who to trust.

“They don’t know who to call or who’s reliable,” he says. “Whatever little bit I can do to help is really important to me, and I get a lot of joy from it.”

That joy was especially evident during a recent visit to one of the families he serves a National Guard household with a parent deployed to the Middle East for a year.

“They have a tricky driveway where I have to get out and use a snow blower for part of it,” Tudisca recalls. “The mom told me that the last time I cleared it, it happened to be her daughter’s birthday. She said it felt like an extra birthday present for her daughter to watch from the window. That was so cool.”

For Tudisca, SnowCare for Troops offers a meaningful way to give back one that fits naturally into his life and work.

“Ultimately, it’s a pretty light lift for those of us who already have the equipment and are out there doing this anyway,” he says. “But the impact it has on these families is huge.”

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Thank You to Our Generous Supporters

The Title Sponsor of the GreenCare for Troops program is Nufarm, while BOSS Snowplow proudly sponsors SnowCare for Troops.

Our Platinum Partners include Toro, SiteOne Landscape Supply, and Heritage Landscape Supply.

The Silver Partner is Arborjet/Ecologel and our Affiliate Partners include the Connecticut Grounds Keepers Association and the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association.

GreenCare for Troops is proudly endorsed by the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

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