About 90 Clevelanders volunteers braved the cold this week to shovel the driveways and walkways of their neighbors — many of whom they didn't even know.
Those included Mary McNamara, who leads the city's Department of Aging. She bundled up, shovel in hand, to help an elderly neighbor in her Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.
"As I was leaving, she came out on our porch and she said, 'I have a nine o'clock doctor’s appointment today, and I shoveled as much as I could; you showing up today made such a difference,'" McNamara said. "She said, 'I'm not sure I would have gone to the doctor's appointment had you not come today.'"
The Department of Aging's new Snow Heroes pilot program is an initiative that's part of the city’s age-friendly communities plan, which aims to keep seniors in their homes as they age.
It builds on the existing Chore Program, in which seniors and adults with other disabilities apply at the beginning of the year for help with tasks like leaf raking and grass cutting. That's staffed by city employees and through a partnership with Court Community Service.
Expanding to volunteer help for snow shoveling will accommodate more people in a more timely manner, McNamara said.
"We didn't have the resources to get to people fast enough," McNamara said. "We looked around at other cities and saw other models of this being done and thought this is this is right for Cleveland that when the snow falls, Clevelanders will rise."
Volunteer applicants sign up online and go through a background check funded by the city before receiving their assigned neighbor. Once snowfall over three inches occurs, volunteers will clear essential walkways, steps and ramps within 48 hours.
Cleveland homeowners are legally responsible for shoveling the sidewalks in front of their houses after snowfall.
Senior resident applications are closed for the pilot year but will open again in the spring.
"My hope is that as we grow our volunteer base, we'll be able to more quickly match people who weren't able to sign up at the beginning of the year," McNamara said. "Because we'll have a bigger response team, we'll be able to match them with a volunteer."
