A team of volunteers in Alexandria have bundled up to shovel and treat their neighbors’ walkways after this weekend’s winter storm.
For two decades, Volunteer Alexandria’s Snow Buddy Program has provided snow removal assistance to people with disabilities, homebound residents and seniors who meet income eligibility requirements. The program, which typically serves 30 to 40 residents, is meeting increased needs in the city, with 65 service requests from Alexandria residents so far this winter.
“It not only provides the safety for the seniors in their homes — meaning that they can get out of their home safely without falling — but we also stress to our volunteers that this is a public service for emergency responders, because this is a vulnerable population,” Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Reba Winstead told ALXnow.
The program currently has 50 volunteers ready to help. Another seven are going through onboarding, after Volunteer Alexandria sent out a call for more volunteers last week in response to a high number of requests on the Duke Street corridor.
“We have enough volunteers for within the city, but we’re always looking for more, because we like to have some backup people,” Winstead said.
At least four service requests have come from neighboring Fairfax and Arlington counties, but the distance between localities has prevented the organization from responding, Winstead said.
She said surrounding jurisdictions “don’t really have a program like this,” and if volunteers in those areas sign up, the program will connect them.
“I would remind everybody to check on their neighbors, to check on people in their communities and see what they can do to help each other, because in times like these, helping each other and looking out for each other can get everyone through a lot,” Winstead said.
Volunteers are asked to be “on call” after the first snowfall of the season and are typically matched with residents nearby.
The program receives a limited amount of shovels and ice melt from the city, with residents and volunteers also contributing supplies. The program ran out of ice melt yesterday (Monday) but intends to restock once the city’s snow emergency is over.
The program provides a public service, Winstead said — but it also brings neighbors together.
“Knowing that somebody is coming and checking on them provides [recipients] with a bit of peace of mind, knowing that they’re taken care of, which is super important for any community, but especially for the most vulnerable,” Winstead said.
The Snow Buddy Program is Volunteer Alexandria’s only direct service program. The nonprofit, which is currently accepting cash donations, primarily partners with other organizations to coordinate service events.
“For our volunteers, it provides that satisfaction, knowing that they are engaged, that they are helping others, and that can really mean a lot of positive influence,” Winstead said. “In the current time we’re dealing with, in society now, that positivity can go a long way and lift a lot of spirits.”
