Sign-up opens Sept. 1 for United Way of Southwest Michigan’s 13th annual “Rake A Difference” event to help seniors with fall yard work
On Thursday, November 9, 2023 hundreds of area volunteers, working as teams, will help seniors in Southwest Michigan rake and bag leaves and clean gutters as part of United Way’s 13th annual “Rake A Difference.”
Before winter hits, raking leaves and cleaning out gutters is a vital step to ensuring spring snow melt does not cause water damage to home or lawn. Many area seniors try to accomplish this work on their own, putting them at risk for falls and serious injury. United Way of Southwest Michigan mobilizes the community to give them a helping hand in prepping for winter.
The service is FREE of charge and serves seniors, age 60 and older, who can’t physically perform yard work and can’t afford to pay for services. Seniors living in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties are helped on a first-come, first-served basis,dependent on the number of volunteers available.
“Rake A Difference is a fun and engaging event! It gives companies, employee teams, school groups, and others an opportunity to service their community in a much-needed way,” said Debbie Ramirez, Volunteer Engagement Director at United Way of Southwest Michigan. “Last year, we had a record number of volunteers who served more seniors than we ever have before. But the number of seniors who need the service keeps increasing, and we are unable to serve all of the seniors that call. The more volunteers we have across the entire span of our three counties means more seniors can be served.”
In 2022 the event served more than 320 seniors through the work of 133 teams comprised of 1,249 volunteers.
“We realize that it may be harder for some teams to get out to outlying areas, so we are actively looking for service groups in those communities to join our ranks,” Ramirez said. “This could be middle school or high school service groups like National Honor Society or Key Clubs; or Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs or veterans service organizations. We especially need help in south Berrien County, rural Van Buren County, and all of Cass County.”
For more information and to sign up as a volunteer, visit uwsm.org/rake-a-difference.
United Way is grateful for the sponsorship that makes Rake A Difference possible. Thank you to:
Major Sponsors:
• American Electric Power Foundation
• Whirlpool Corporation
Gold Sponsor:
• Boss Services
• French Paper Company
• Honor Credit Union
• Silver Beach Pizza
Silver Sponsors:
• Kinexus
• Midwest Energy & Communications
• Sturgis Bank
Bronze Sponsors:
• Andrews University
• Kemner Iott Benz Agency
• Niles Precision Company
• Ravitron
• Vail Rubber Works Inc.
ABOUT UNITED WAY
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. We have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit,and public partners, we provide immediate assistance to our most vulnerable populations while addressing the root causes of our community's longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy,and volunteering—visit www.uwsm.org.