October 26, 2020
The City of Lawrence and the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County need your help! The Safe Winter Walkways Program, a collaboration between the two organizations, is underway for 2020-2021, and volunteers are needed to help elderly and individuals with disabilities clear public sidewalks following snow events.
The Safe Winter Walkways Program is an excellent resource for members of our community who are physically unable to keep their sidewalks clear during snow events. The goal is to create safer and more accessible pedestrian walkways, and it is a structured version of what already happens in many neighborhoods – neighbors helping neighbors.
Lawrence residents with a passion for helping others and who enjoy winter weather (and shoveling snow) are needed to volunteer for the Safe Winter Walkways Program. Volunteers are matched with residents needing assistance, and the program makes every effort to match volunteers with residents in their neighborhoods. All volunteers are asked to commit to the entire snow season and shovel after each snow fall. Volunteers are not required to provide snow removal for private driveways, sidewalks or walkways, but they may choose to also clear those areas.
Individual volunteers are welcome, but the program also encourages volunteer groups, civic organizations and youth groups to consider volunteering as a team. Please contact Larry Woydziak to find out how to sign up as a group and for the requirements for volunteering.
Elderly and individuals with disabilities who are responsible for the care of public sidewalks, but are physically unable to keep them clear following snow events, are encouraged to participate in the program. Participant registration will close on November 20, 2020, so that all volunteers and participants can be matched before the holiday season and winter weather begins. The program is for public sidewalks only and priority is given to homes with public sidewalks.
The City is again offering online registration for both participants and volunteers. Visit our website to sign up: lawrenceks.org/safe_winter_walkways. Interested participants and volunteers can also register by calling Larry Woydziak with the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County at (785) 727-7875.
Media Contacts:
Larry Woydziak, Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, (785) 727-7875
Porter Arneill, City of Lawrence, (785) 832-3402