Neighbors Day coming this weekend, Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – A La Crosse nonprofit is getting ready for an annual event helping elderly and disabled residents, but as First News at Nine’s Dashal Mentzel shares, there’s still a need for volunteers who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
Spring is here, which means it’s time to get out and do yard work but for those who aren’t able to keep up with lawn care, Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse region lends a helping hand through its annual Neighbors Day event. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director, Kahya Fox, says, ‘We send volunteers out into the community to help elderly and disabled residents in the city of La Crosse get their yards ready for spring. So, we do things like raking leaves, turning garden beds, trimming shrubs and washing windows.”
Fox says the event is looking for more volunteers this year because of the rise in applicants. They already have around 300 volunteers, but Fox says they need around 50 more, ‘The thing that I worry about every single year is having to call our elderly and disabled residents unfortunately, we can’t help you this year. They count on neighbors year after year after year. They take pride in their homes. They want to make their yards pretty. It’s spring. We all want to do that. But we have residents that just can’t do that themselves anymore.”
Habitat for Humanity Community Outreach Director, Natalie Heneghan, says the event is very important to La Crosse residents who register, “So many of our neighbors genuinely rely on our volunteers for, their annual spring yard cleanup. They don’t maybe have family in the area, or they don’t have that, you know, extra money to pay somebody to do this work. So, it’s really an essential service that we are providing our community members without any other resources.”
Heneghan says that volunteering gives people a great opportunity to help others in the community, adding it also brings the community closer together, “It’s just a great excuse to be outside with people you enjoy spending time with. but really, you know, the heart of it is making those connections with our neighbors knocking on their door saying, hey, we’re here to help rake your leaves. And they are so grateful for the support. It’s just a great opportunity to make more connections with your neighbors and do something positive for our community.”
Habitat for Humanity says they’ve never had to turn any clients away for Neighbors Day. They are hoping not to do so this year. In La Crosse, Dashal Mentzel First News at Nine.
Neighbors Day volunteers will meet at Myrick Park at 10 am Saturday (4/27/24) before they are sent out in groups to neighborhood houses.
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