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November 15, 2003
Volunteer rakers go where the leaves are Ministry offers help to those who need it
Volunteer rakers go where the leaves are
Ministry offers help to those who need it
By Heather Barr THE NEWS-TIMES
BROOKFIELD — Tackling 50 leafy lawns in about 2½ hours sounds a bit strenuous for a Saturday morning, but not for 830 volunteers raking and blowing leaves at the sixth annual Rake ’N Bake.
The event is sponsored by the Handy Dandy Handyman Ministry, a spiritual organization that does community service activities for those in need through St. Joseph Church in Brookfield.
At 8 a.m., individuals, Boy and Girl Scout troops and area youth groups will meet at the church to move out and rake the lawns of people who are unable to do so and/or can’t afford to hire someone to do it.
The lawns are in Danbury, New Milford, Bridgewater and Brookfield.
“It is a great service because it is really expensive to hire someone to do this,” said Brookfield’s Norma Fogarty, who will get her lawn raked. “People get to help their neighbors and get to know their neighbors.”
“It’s lots of fun,” said Whisconier Middle School eighth-grader Liz Hegarty, 13, of Brookfield, who has volunteered at the event for about four years. “You get to meet people from around town.”
She is the captain of a team of 23 people, which includes her mother, Beth Hegarty. They will rake her grandmother Helen Fiddner’s lawn. Liz said her grandmother has gotten too old to do it herself.
“There are lots of trees around her house,” she said. “It is a big job to do.”
Last year, 517 volunteers raked 42 customers’ lawns.
“It’s incredible,” said retiree Peter Brady, organizer of the ministry. “(The number of volunteers) is way beyond my expectations.”
Brady said lawns would be raked simultaneously, with about 15 to 30 people per lawn.
The ministry cannot accept any more volunteers or lawns to be raked.
All volunteers at the Rake ’N Bake will receive a door prize ticket for one of three prizes.
At the end of the day, volunteers and customers are served hot dogs and salads with baked desserts at St. Joseph Church’s parking lot.
The ministry is asking for donations to pay for the roughly $1,200 worth of food. All donations are tax free. So far, $700 has been collected.
Checks can be made payable to HDHM Ministry and mailed to Peter Brady, 26 Shamrock Drive, Brookfield, CT 06804. Checks can also be deposited at a table at the event.
Contact Heather Barr
at hbarr@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3331.
Posted by hdhm at November 15, 2003 06:07 PM