Shovelers Offer Helping Hands
By Katie Ashton
Published: Friday, December 10, 2004 in the Utah Statesman
Several Utah State University students, realizing the stress winter weather can pose for Logan residents, are volunteering their snow removal services this season.
Kevin Isakson, a senior majoring in exercise science, said he realized many residents in the valley have trouble shoveling their driveways and sidewalks, making leaving and coming home a frequent obstacle.
To address this overlooked problem, he formed Helping Hands, a service organization that provides snow removal for the elderly and disabled. Currently, there are 11 volunteers and 23 homes they serve, he said.
"I've been an Aggie long enough up here to know there are people out there altruistic and selfless enough to help," Isakson said.
Isakson said 10 shovels were donated by Lowe's, helping the service group start by eliminating financial costs to the volunteers. In its first year, the program has "really taken off," he said. Currently, there are people signing up daily for this service and wanting to volunteer.
Each volunteer signs up for one or more homes to shovel during snowstorms, Isakson said. With the group expanding, the Sigma Nu fraternity has agreed to volunteer and cover about 12 homes, he said. Many students are impressed this need has been recognized in the valley and students are organizing to help solve the problem snow can present to many residents.
Kevin Isakson, a senior majoring in exercise science, said he realized many residents in the valley have trouble shoveling their driveways and sidewalks, making leaving and coming home a frequent obstacle.
To address this overlooked problem, he formed Helping Hands, a service organization that provides snow removal for the elderly and disabled. Currently, there are 11 volunteers and 23 homes they serve, he said.
"I've been an Aggie long enough up here to know there are people out there altruistic and selfless enough to help," Isakson said.
Isakson said 10 shovels were donated by Lowe's, helping the service group start by eliminating financial costs to the volunteers. In its first year, the program has "really taken off," he said. Currently, there are people signing up daily for this service and wanting to volunteer.
Each volunteer signs up for one or more homes to shovel during snowstorms, Isakson said. With the group expanding, the Sigma Nu fraternity has agreed to volunteer and cover about 12 homes, he said. Many students are impressed this need has been recognized in the valley and students are organizing to help solve the problem snow can present to many residents.
Isakson said he created campus and community awareness by posting a classified ad in the Herald Journal, announcements in the Back Burner of the Utah Statesman and coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Eric Woolley, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said he became aware of the group through the Back Burner of the Utah Statesman and came to a meeting based on the advertised free pizza.
Woolley said he joined the group because he has a "truckload of free time" and not a lot of homework.
The group experienced a test run of their organization's potential over Thanksgiving break. With the snowstorm, Isakson said he had more than 20 homes to shovel with one other volunteer. While they shoveled, Isakson said he received a call from one of his reserve volunteers from Providence who offered her time and family to help.
"We do get help from the valley residents," he said. "They really saved my butt. It felt really good afterwards."
Volunteers can be on a reserve basis, Isakson said, which means they are available when they can be, but are not volunteering on a full-time basis for a particular home.
Isakson said he realized the positive impact this program is having on the residents they are helping. He said he noticed there was a need for this service last winter when a woman approached him and asked for help shoveling her driveway and sidewalks.
"There has to be a lot more people out there that need this," Isakson said in response to his work last year.
Isakson said he began finding people in need of this service by working with Meals-on-Wheels and the senior center in Logan. The goal for the service organization is to go valley-wide, Isakson said, but currently there are not enough volunteers to support this endeavor.
"I want to go as large as the volunteer base allows," Isakson said.
He said he is holding off advertising on the KVNU radio station because "Helping Hands" does not have enough volunteers to cover the valley. The group has already had to turn down shoveling requests from Smithfield City and Hyrum, he said. There is hesitancy to advertise on radio without having the necessary manpower, he said.
"I want to be ready," he said.
"Helping Hands" does not have scheduled meetings, but for volunteer information or information regarding the services provided by the group call (435) 755-2107 or e-mail Isakson at kisakson@cc.usu.edu.
-kcashton@cc.usu.edu
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