Despite the gray skies, spring is here and to many people that means cleaning up yard waste and trimming trees. Danville is set to help out those who can’t perform these chores themselves with its third annual Lend a Hand day but it has a problem – it needs to find more folks who want assistance getting their yards in shape.
The event is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 29. Danville Mayor Karen Stepper said during that time volunteers will be assigned to homes throughout the town where they will undertake projects for the residents. They will rake leaves and pull weeds, as well as perform other simple jobs. At the end of the day, all yard waste collected will be picked up by town workers.
Lend a Hand day was started by a former program administrator in the town and is held in conjunction with Older Americans Month, when residents turn out to help seniors with tasks they may not be able to do on their own
“We’ve been doing this for three years,” said Stepper. “It’s a service project for the town and we always get the best people who come out and help.”
Jenn Overmoe, Adult and Senior Services Program Administrator for Danville, said she has seen this event blossom over the past few years.
“It’s grown by leaps and bounds,” she said. “We have gotten such a good turnout.”
Overmoe said they already have more than 200 people lined up to help out on Lend a Hand day, which has created a problem of a different sort.
“We need more people who are in need of assistance,” she said. “Right now we only have had five seniors contact us that they needed help. We’d like to have about 50 homes where we can send our volunteers.”
Any person who is interested in volunteering or who would like to request help can call the town at 314-3476 or fill out a form online at www.ci.danville.ca.us.
