We participate in a program called Operation Brushup where a council preselects an area of town (usually residential) and by all volunteers, they paint all these homes for people. We go around and cut down all the weeds around the houses so the foundations and lower parts of the houses can be painted and other volunteers pick it all up for us. They are always greatly appreciative of the work which brings a great feeling. Also, if perhaps you have a tractor, you may want to contact Habitat for Humanity around you to help with the grading-just a thought.

This next year, I was considering "adopting" a major I-75 exit/corridor right near us. This would be through the "Adopt A Highway" program. (This also means big highway signs with our name on it.) Also, we did do an old cemetery once. There was an article in our local paper about it sating it was running out of funds, and the families were really upset about it's condition. When I decided to drive over one day I saw what they meant! Almost the whole place was waist deep! Trash in some areas, and fallen limbs and such. There were people in it trying to cut an area with pushmowers. When I talked to them I found out they were family members of the deceased. This was a cemetery that dated back from mid 1800's to mid 1900's. I couldn't let this be like this, so every afternoon or so, when I was done with my roster, I would go in and knock these vast areas out and mulch them up later after it dried. I moved section by section, and the beauty of it was, was that no one knew who was doing it! Eventually, after I told a few other guys I knew with services, (who I can now call friends), we all converged on this cemetery on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon, knocked it all out and had it all trimmed up and shining! Someone WANTed to call the media, but we preferred they didn't. They acknowledged our wishes. That was a wonderful experience being able to do for those families what we did. And Mike, Randy, Paul, and Tom, if you happen to read this- Thank you once again and God bless.
[Edited by Runner on 12-11-2000 at 04:33 AM]