The first month of 2020 was a busy one around the Project EverGreen office as program managers worked to match military families requesting help with their lawn care, landscaping or snow removal with volunteers looking to lend a helping hand.
The 47 new volunteers who registered in January will not likely be idle for long as 36 new families registered for one of the programs in the first month of the year.
There was no post-holiday slowdown in January for the GreenCare and SnowCare for Troops programs. The first month of 2020 was a busy one around the Project EverGreen office as program managers worked to match military families requesting help with their lawn care, landscaping or snow removal with volunteers looking to lend a helping hand.
January alone saw 47 new volunteers register to help families with a deployed service member with their lawn, yard or clearing a driveway or sidewalk. These new volunteers bring the number of volunteers who’ve registered since August to an impressive 204.
These volunteers will not likely be idle for long as 36 new families registered for one of the programs in the first month of the year. Project EverGreen reports that they were able to match 69 percent of families with a volunteer in January. Thousands of military families that have registered and received services since the programs’ inceptions in 2006 and 2010, respectively.
The engine that drives both programs is its volunteers. Their dedication to delivering in the clutch for military families and inspired sense of duty, that is only surpassed by those who they serve, is the hallmark of the initiatives.
“I feel like we are able to give back something. It may not be a whole bunch, but it is something that we can do,” says GreenCare for Troops volunteer Aaron Beams of Greenway Landscape Services in Louisville, Kentucky. “The grass has to be cut no matter what, and the help we provide shows that we appreciate the sacrifice of military families in this community.”
Beams has been a volunteer for two years and has taken care of five military families during their deployments. Both his grandparents, along with several uncles and cousins were or are currently serving in the military, so Beams’ service to military families is a natural fit. And, he’s looking forward to helping more families in the season ahead.
Aaron Beams of Greenway Landscape Services actively promotes his company’s participation in GreenCare for Troops and recruits others to join the cause.
GreenCare for Troops marks its 14th year and has seen more than 11,000 military families register to receive an estimated $8 million in donated lawn care and landscape services from more than 6,000 green industry professionals.
Celebrating its 10th year, the SnowCare for Troops program is more than clearing driveways and sidewalks of snow and ice. It’s a means to help military families maintain their independence and go about their daily routines taking care of family, work, school and more.
Registering is simple and easy, and can be done online on the project page of the Project EverGreen website
GreenCare for Troops is generously supported by lead sponsor Nufarm, platinum partners Toro and SiteOne Landscape Supply, and silver partner Arborjet/Ecologel. SnowCare for Troops is supported by platinum sponsor BOSS Snowplow.
