USU Coordinating Volunteers to Provide Snow Shoveling for Cache Valley Residents in Need

Utah State University’s Val R. Christensen Service Center has partnered with Cache Community Connections (CCC) to create Community Rakes & Shovels, a service that provides raking and shoveling services for senior citizens and people with disabilities in Cache Valley.

USU’s Service Center is coordinating requests for services from local senior citizens and people with disabilities and volunteers who would like to provide raking or snow shoveling services throughout the fall and winter. According to CCC member Julianne Larsen, there is a perennial need for volunteers to help provide shoveling assistance for senior citizens and community members with disabilities.

Community members that would like to volunteer their time and service are encouraged to sign up to help. Upon registration, volunteers will be matched up with residents who have requested service. A staff member will give volunteers the contact information of those they are serving, so arrangements can be made. Rakes and shovels are also available for those who do not own their own tools.

As a COVID-19 precautionary measure, volunteers should not interact with residents face-to-face, and if they do, mask-wearing is strongly recommended. Mask-wearing and physical distancing in the great outdoors is also recommended if you are volunteering with people who do not live in your household.

Senior citizens and people with disabilities who live in Cache Valley are invited to submit a request for aid with shoveling and raking using the online request form. After receiving the request, Service Center staff will contact potential volunteers and connect volunteers with residents. The Service Center will do everything it can to fulfill every request, although this cannot be guaranteed. For assistance filling out the online form, call 435-797-1740.

Those looking to volunteer their services can also fill out a registration form with their contact information. Both the volunteer form and the service request form can be found by visiting www.usu.edu/servicecenter/rakes_and_shovels.

USU’s Val R. Christensen Service Center is celebrating its 50th year of service, as it became one of the first student-run volunteer organizations in the nation upon its founding in 1970. The first-ever service activity organized by the center was having students volunteer to rake leaves in the community. For more information on the Service Center, visit www.usu.edu/servicecenter/50-years-of-service.