Crider Landscaping is a full-service landscape and land care company serving the Chattanooga metro region and a Project EverGreen GreenCare for Troops volunteer.

For Crider, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga graduate, the landscaping business is second nature. He has been working in the field since high school when he and his brother were mowing lawns in and around the neighborhood they grew up in.

During that time Crider learned the value of service and giving back through his participate in the Boy Scouts. That appreciation was part of the reason he registered his company to be a GreenCare for Troops volunteer and why he stands ready to give back to those who sacrifice so much.

Q: How did you get involved with GreenCare for Troops?
A: We have been involved with GreenCare for Troops for several years after reading an article in one of the industry magazines about the program. I have been involved with the Boy Scouts since I was a teenager, and the service and giving back to the community aspects are very similar. I had some friends who were deployed and people do not think about who is going to take care of the yard while they are away. Our service personnel our bravely serving our country and this was the least we could for them.

Q: Talk about your experience and what it means to you and your company?
A: We have worked with several families providing basic maintenance and yard upkeep over the years and they have always been very appreciative. They can’t believe someone is offering to do this at no charge and they asked, “Are you sure we can’t pay?” GreenCare for Troops is a good way to give back and recognize the sacrifices these men and women are making. You get a good feeling from being part of the program and our crews went above and beyond when they knew the reason why we were doing this.

Q: What would you say to a contractor considering volunteering for GreenCare for Troops?
A: I would say go for it and do not hesitate to get involved. GreenCare for Troops is a great opportunity to give back to the community and to those who are serving our country. We can’t do what we do every day if it wasn’t for them.