‘Really grateful’: Local seniors receive help with fall cleanup

Debbie Corbett woke up feeling extra thankful this morning as a hardworking team of Sault College students raked up all the leaves from her front and back lawns.

The Kent Avenue resident was one of 29 seniors who received assistance with yard maintenance on Saturday as part of the Trades Day of Caring program – an annual initiative in partnership with Sault College and United Way Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma.

Under the supervision of college instructors, 45 trades students broke up into groups around town to help seniors prepare for the winter months, which included caulking windows, applying weather stripping, sealing windows, storing hoses, and raking leaves.

“With getting older, I can’t manage my yard as much as I used to,” Corbett told SooToday. “So this is awesome; they come and clean up my yard and take it out to the curb. It’s beautiful.”

“My maple tree is mighty and sheds a lot,” she added. “I have no younger siblings or nieces and nephews in town anymore, so I have to ask for help. I’m really grateful for the help.”

Trades Day of Caring has grown exponentially since last year as 30 more students and 12 more homes were involved in this year’s initiative.

Farrah Farstad, a first-year student at Sault College and one of Saturday’s volunteers, says the experience to help residents in need has been extremely rewarding.

“It’s a pretty cool experience,” she said. “We get to bond with our classmates and see inside the community a bit more. The residents were all super friendly, and it makes us feel good to know we’re helping out the community.”

“I would definitely do this again; it’s been a lot of fun,” she added.

Marc Pilon, the coordinator of Civil Engineering and Construction at Sault College, says it’s not always easy for seniors to find people to do small household tasks for them.

Thanks to the program, he says both students and eligible residents are benefitting greatly.

“It gives our students the chance to come out, meet people in the community, and give back,” he said. “We have a lot of newcomers to Canada, and they don’t necessarily know a lot of people around, so it’s a good social networking activity and feels good that we can give back.”

“United Way is a great partner for this event,” he added. “They field a lot of the calls from the residents, and they put together a list of homes that they feel suit the criteria. They’ve helped Sault College for many years, and it’s always positive and we always get great feedback.”

Since 2010, the Trades Day of Caring program has assisted hundreds of seniors with fall tasks.