Helping seniors with their yards part of Lend-A-Hand program

South Essex Community Council (SECC) held its Spring Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 11 and despite dodging the raindrops, some local residents were happy to have the SECC ‘Lend-A-Hand’ crew trimming and raking in their yards.

The Lend-A-Hand program has volunteers helping seniors rejuvenate their gardens and yards, getting them ready for spring.

One such stop was at Marianne Lasi’s home on Garrison Avenue, where a crew of about 12 trimmed her hedges and generally cleaned up the back yard.

“This is a great help,” said Marianne. “They are doing a thorough job.”

Heidi Omstead, Lend-A-Hand’s project leader, was in charge of organizing the crew.

“It goes beyond garden maintenance,” she said. “It’s about building connections and expressing gratitude to the seniors who have made significant contributions to our community.”

The project welcomes volunteers of all ages, which includes kids who want to be a part of helping out.

Seniors were asked to call SECC to register and the program took it from there. On Saturday morning, they showed up at Marianne Lasi’s home with rakes, trimmers and clippers in hand to get the job done.