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Plenty of leaves are still on the trees, but now is the time for some serious raking. Today we caught up with a team of volunteers eager to tackle the task.
The Utah Food Bank Services does more than food drives; it is a hub for volunteers. Today those volunteers rolled out with rakes to help seniors who aren't quite up to the task anymore.
A finely-tuned yard crew from Fieldstone Homes made a huge difference for Tylene O'Reilly this fall. They raked and bagged her leaves -- chores she can't handle as easily as she used too. She was sure thankful for the extra hands.
Fieldstone Employees took on 50 yards of raking, turning off swamp coolers and making small repairs. It was all part of "The Fall Leaf Haul."
No matter how good or bad business is, every year the home builders take a full day to reach out in the community.
"We shut down the office. We shut down the 11 communities. So, there's about 65 of us that are out giving some service. It makes us feel good," said Kent Nef, sales trainer for Fieldstone Homes.
Today's crew from Fieldstone hopes that the work that they do today encourages even more people to show up Saturday.
"We're hoping to have over 400 volunteers come down and help us get seniors' yards prepared for the winter months," said Jim Pugh, executive director of Utah Food Bank Services.
Mary Migliorelli, program officer for Fieldstone Homes, said, "It matters to our employees, and we know it matters to the people in our communities, and it makes a difference."
Fieldstone also presented a $25,000 gift to expand the food bank's grocery rescue program.
The food bank goes to grocery stores to pick up day-old items to distribute food directly to those who need it.
"Last year we were able to save almost a million pounds of product that would have gone into the landfill without a program like this. That got onto people's plates -- nutritious products that people can use," Pugh said.
For people who are cash strapped and want to help this fall, volunteer time is a great way to give. If you can participate in the Fall Leaf Haul, show up at the Utah Food Bank Saturday at 9 a.m.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
