SnowCare for Troops Featured in “Deployment Diatribe” Blog

SnowCare for Troops Featured in “Deployment Diatribe” Blog

Project EverGreen’s SnowCare for Troops was recently featured in the Deployment Diatribe blog.

We sincerely appreciate their assistance in our ongoing volunteer drive. The national program is underwritten by THE BOSS Snowplow. Now in its third year, SCFT has 1,200 volunteers signed up to help more than 1,500 military families. Many volunteers are snow removal and landscape contracting professionals.

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Jeffrey Davis of MTD Products Tackles Moody Air Force Base

Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops volunteer, Jeffrey Davis w/ MTD Products, takes on Moody Air Force Base military lawns for families with currently deployed spouses.

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The Melendez Military Family Day of Service

Mr. Melendez is a mechanic in the National Guard with one previous deployment to Kuwait. Recently, another deployment has taken him to the Middle East leaving behind his wife and five children.

The Melendez family registered with Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops to receive free lawn services, through volunteers, with a primary breadwinner deployed in the Armed Forces. Austin Outdoor Landscaping stepped up to assist on a much larger scale.

The Home Depot Foundation did not hesitate to answer the call for assistance and team up with Austin Outdoor Landscaping (a Yellowstone Landscape Group) in Davenport, FL, on April 6, 2012. The Home Depot Foundation generously donated materials and volunteers for an outside project to create a needed relaxation and enjoyment area for our military family.

While Austin Outdoor was completing several days of landscape design and installation of a fresh green space make-over, the Team Depot volunteers, Lindsey and Ken, were planning the perfect areas for a gliding bench swing, gardening storage shed, and outstanding playground equipment for the five Melendez children to enjoy right in their own back yard!

The Austin Outdoor group was extremely grateful to have Team Depot volunteers, Ken Smith and Lindsey Schmitz available for the planning and assembling of the storage shed, the gliding bench swing, and the most time consuming of all, the assembling of the children’s playground equipment. Ken and Lindsey were truly invaluable and led the rest of the volunteers who had never assembled any type of playground equipment! They were patient, kind, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of this project for a very deserving family. One of the photographs Lindsey took at the start of the planning and assembling, Ken Smith is smiling and giving the “thumbs up” that all is good!

Austin Outdoor Landscaping, Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops, and The Home Depot Foundation, would like to thank the volunteers who participated. They changed the life of this military family by giving a gift of support that they will always remember.

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Yellowstone Landscape Group – Florida, South Carolina, Georgia

Yellowstone Landscape Group offered to provide a community service of free landscape enhancements through two of their branch professional landscape companies, Austin Outdoor and Piedmont Landscape, in the states of FL, SC, and GA.

Five military families were recipients of their amazing community service. Our military families were so excited when called to ask if they needed help with their landscaping, and on top of that, it was FREE – they could not believe it was actually happening to them. Much appreciation for the generosity of these volunteers !
Port St. Lucie, FL

This project was completed for a military family in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and coordinated by Ms. Nicole Grice from Austin Outdoor.
Savannah, GA

This backyard playground makeover was designed and installed for a military family in Savanah, GA. The Yellowstone Landscape Group representative was Grant Hawkins from Piedmont Landscape.
Summerville, SC

Our military wife called our GCFT manager during the project and said she didn’t know what to do with herself…she paced the house, watched the volunteers, and couldn’t believe her eyes! On the day of the project, her soldier was due home from active duty late evening – project was completed – what a wonderful surprise!

The Yellowstone Landscape Group representative was Matt Maurer from Piedmont Landscape.

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GreenCare for Troops Story: The Beyer’s

Cheryl Beyer’s husband has been in Iraq serving his country since February 2009. It wasn’t until this summer that Cheryl discovered just how much work Dale did around the house, including the landscape maintenance. Cheryl tried to keep up with the maintenance of the house and the children, but the landscaping was too much. As a military wife, she was familiar with a similar GreenCare For Troops project completed for Major Aaron Filter’s home in Janesville in 2008 that K & W Greenery undertook.

After receiving word that there was another military family seeking landscape assistance, WGIF Executive Director Brian Swingle met with Mrs. Beyer and walked the property. After taking note of the maintenance needs, Brian sent an e-mail alert to WGIF members listing the work that needed to be done on the property, including some tree removal and trimming work.

First on the scene was Andy Kurth of Weedman Lawncare in Middleton and Beloit, to treat a malnourished and weedy lawn. While performing the work, Andy and Cheryl were interviewed by the local newspaper and were mentioned on the local WCLO morning radio show with Stan Milam. The Janesville Gazette also gave the efforts of local landscape professionals a “thumbs up” in their weekly Opinion page.

Local Janesville area arborists from L.P. Tree Service & The D.W.G., members of the Wisconsin Arborist Association, removed an Austrian pine and pruned ash, birch, crabapples, and maples at the residence. David Graham and Dean Zuck of the DWG Co., and L.P. Tree Service’s Cory Gritzmacher, Chris & Jon Ranum, Garrik Harwick, Steve Lear and Ty Buschemi all contributed to the project.

Following the large and tall tree work, Erin Mauer of Lied’s Nursery and Landscape of Sussex made the drive all the way from Sussex, Wisconsin to meet with Mrs. Beyer and plan the rest of the work to be performed.

“Rob (Lied) said, ‘do what needs to be done’ when I told him about the opportunity,” explained Erin.

Shortly thereafter, Lied’s personnel including foreman James (Jimmy) Maruska, crewmembers Frank Mantanona and Garrett Dieball, and supervisors Joel Hollrith and Gary Gray handled a long list of work, including installing a new mailbox and post to replace the existing one which was rotting off its base. The crew also pruned shrubs in beds around house, removed dead shrubs, cut back perennials, removed excessive weed barrier around plant crowns, sprayed weeds in beds, cleaned accessible first story gutters, cleaned yard of debris and leaf litter, top dressed beds (front and side yards) with stone mulch, removed debris and weed barrier in mailbox bed and restored area to turf (sod), and placed a fall color potted planting at the front entrance.

After the work was completed in October, Mrs. Beyer told WGIF, “I have been in touch with my husband and have sent him some pictures. We are truly grateful for all the help. Words can’t express it all. The kids have stated the yard looks bigger. They are very happy and thankful too. Thank you. ”

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GreenCare for Troops – GCSAA of Northwest Ohio

On Saturday May 22, 2010 the Northwestern Ohio chapter of the GCSAA participated in the GreenCare for Troops Program by assisting the families of 2 deployed service personnel.

Several members of the association along with crew members from Stone Ridge Golf Club volunteered to perform multiple duties around each home. At the home of the Johns work included general cleanup, edging of the sidewalks and curbs, tilling and planting of a vegetable garden, mowing, cleaning of the deck, cleaning of the flower beds and cleaning of the driveway. In addition to the work Reynolds Turf donated a new John Deere mower to the Johns.

At the home of the Norrils work included general cleanup, tree trimming, landscape bed design and installation and walkway preparation. Materials for this project were generously donated by Clean Wood Recycling, North Branch Nursery, Uni-Lock and USA Lawns and Landscape.

On behalf of the Association we would like to thank the following people and companies who volunteered or donated their services and/or products to this great project: Dan Salois, Tim Glorioso, Brian Heydinger, Bruce Dodenhoff, Jim Hemrick, Bill Locke, Don Earnhart, Don Lawrence, Shawn Golz, Tim Suter, Colin Suter, Trevor Newby, Ben Henning, Randy Wade, Mike Bibler, Brandon Oney, Clean Wood Recycling for donating the mulch, North Branch Nursery for donating the nursery stock, Reynolds Turf for donating the mower, Uni-Lock for donating the retention wall and walkway pavers, USA Lawn and Landscape for installing the retention wall and walkway.

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U.S. Lawns Joins GreenCare for Troops – St. Charles, MO

U.S. Lawns of West and St. Charles County takes pride in reaching out to their community for those in need; Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops gave them another opportunity to do just that. Workers Hugo Hernandez, David Murphey, and Jessica Murphey provided a much needed community service for one of our military families in St. Charles, MO.

The project consisted of downing a failing plum tree in the back, cutting it into logs. There was much raking to do to clear the tremendous amount of leaves and debris all around the home. The group separated and transplanted some of the perennials in areas to fill in some garden beds and create more color.

Mulching was done in the front perennial beds and around the step stone walkway in the back. Very large grasses were cut back and an extensive amount of weeds were cleaned out along the property line near the back alley.

All debris was hauled away and the property is now Crisp, Clean, and GREEN!

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GreenCare for Troops Story: The Westbrook’s

A soldier who had been serving our country for several years was still deployed in the Middle East and had put in for retirement. His wish? To be able to walk out his back door onto green grass. His country was his priority, which kept him from completing a few tasks at home and taking time out for himself.

While the soldier was home for R&R, we contacted his wife to let her know that a landscaper had offered to make the yard transformation. It was all she could do to keep from exploding, since the new yard was to be a surprise.

Unfortunately, the economy hit the landscaper hard as the months passed, and they were unable to follow through with their commitment. We thought the surprise was a goner until, only two days after knowing we needed help, we received an e-mail from a professional who asked how he and his company could get involved with GreenCare for Troops in their area. Their area happened to be near our military family, and we knew just how they could become involved with our soldier’s wish.

While our professional was rounding up volunteers, we were contacted by the soldier’s wife with some sobering news: Her husband had been in an ambush in Afghanistan. He had been transported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he was recovering from gunfire wounds.

During his recovery time, the soldier’s wife informed him that his wish was going to come true. He was thrilled and couldn’t wait to see photographs of the process and then go home to his green grass.

Sadly, our soldier took a turn for the worse and passed away. But before he died, his wife whispered in his ear, “Your wish is coming true. The grass will be there.” The soldier raised his eyebrows and nodded…one of our country’s strong heroes.

The landscaping project took place on Saturday, October 24, 2009. The military family’s yard was filled with volunteers. All materials needed for the project were donated by green industry suppliers. In awe of their new yard, the soldier’s sons stood with their mother and said, “This is incredible. This type of thing happens to everyone else, but not us.”

The volunteers who made a wish come true for fallen hero Sgt. Kenneth Westbrook are:

* Adjutant General Thomas Belcher
* The Blue Water Veterans Association
* John Rossie and Chaplain RC Lewis
* Metropolitan Homes, Inc.
* Rob Kuck
* Mike Premer
* Melodee Gerlach
* Tony Fanzo
* Pat Cartwright and Christine Hickey
* Green Belt Turf Farm
* Craig Giesbrecht
* Pioneer Sand & Gravel
* Mike Osborne
* CPS Distributors
* Dennis Kimsey
* Metco Landscape
* Mark Tomko
* Jake Hardin and crew
* Valley Crest Landscape
* James West
* Javier Mora
* Kurt and Emily Siekmeier
* Bubba Bolen
* Greg Krause
* Darrell Sargent.

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Future Farmers of America and GreenCare for Troops Team Up in Indiana

On an early chilly morning in Indianapolis, IN during the 2008 National FFA Convention, 16 FFA students along with their high school principal and GreenCare for Troops leader were bussed to a military family’s home to assist with fall yard work.

This community service project was filled with mowing, mulching, cutting back gardens, bagging debris, lots of leaf blowing & raking, hot chocolate, coffee, smiles, and great conversation. These students should be very proud of their hard work that morning where they lifted a burden of lawn care from a deployed soldier’s family. It was so much appreciated !

The FFA participants were: Charlie Willis, Leah Holden, Rachael Harless, Justin Phenis, Kristill Jones, Aaron Wheeler, Austin Boyd, Alicia Neal, Jesse Warren, Adam Thompson, Stacy Marie Hagerman, Brittany Hanson, Kaleb Meredith, Miranda Chapman, Sarah Grizzell, and Katlynn Chambless.

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GreenCare for Troops – Seattle, Washington

The broad, patriotic appeal of Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops program is winning wide public approval as it works to link lawn and landscape professionals with families whose major breadwinner is on active duty in the Middle East.

In fact, when Connie Krier of suburban Seattle heard about GreenCare for Troops, she knew it had been designed to help families just like hers. Her husband had been away for over a year in Iraq, she’d been forced to go to work full-time to support their two small children, and their lawn and landscape projects were put on indefinite hold.

Connie registered to participate – but she hadn’t dreamed what would happen next. As part of communicating the goals of GreenCare for Troops, Project EverGreen contacted Seattle radio station KBSG. As a result, their popular morning “Fastlane” talk show picked the Krier family as their GreenCare for Troops “poster child” and began to spread the word.

Fast forward to June 27, when this effort resulted in a small army of volunteers and a host of donated materials descending on the Krier home. Spring Green of Puyallup, WA lined up arborist and landscaper Jamie Bratten to supervise the project, which included extensive green space renovation with lawn care, trimming, plantings and, as a bonus, construction of a new patio.

As a result, Army Reservist Cameron Krier will find a bright, fresh landscape when he returns home from a stressful tour as an IED specialist in Iraq.

According to Den Gardner, executive director of Project EverGreen, “The publicity efforts of KBSG helped make this a real showcase for GreenCare for Troops. Going forward, we will continue to work with local and national media to underline the value of this effort and encourage broader participation from lawn and landscape professionals. Those interested in referrals from service families who have applied for help are encouraged to contact us.”

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