— -- Making a difference in one's community can take a variety of forms, even if means simply mowing a elderly person's lawn for free.
That is the message of one Alabama man who has started a program for local youths to encourage them to give back. My mission is to encourage kids to get out there and give back to their community, Rodney Smith Jr., 27, told ABC News. I tell people all the time, if they are able, they can make a difference, and my way of making a difference is with a lawnmower.
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The Bermuda native, who currently lives in Huntsville, Alabama, started the Raising Men Lawn Care Services last year, and since then the group has mowed around a thousand lawns, for free, for people in their community.
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I was driving from school and I saw an elderly man cutting grass and it looked like he was struggling, he said. So I decided to help him.
Smith said he lost count of how many lawns they have mowed for free, but he estimated the number at more than 1, 000.
Smith's group currently has 60 children participating in the Huntsville chapter, with another six chapters operating across the state. His goal is to have a chapter in all 50 states.
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In addition to providing lawn services to those in need, Smith said that a big part of his mission is to mentor young men, and even young girls, from ages seven to 17 about the importance of giving back to the community.
This year, Smith launched the 50 Yard Challenge, which sets a goal for children worldwide to cut the grass on 50 lawns for free for people in their community who are elderly, disabled, veterans or single moms.
The challenge rewards youths with colored t-shirts each time they reach the milestone 10, 20, 30, 40 and then finally 50 lawns. When a young person mows 50 lawns for free, they get a visit from Smith and the founding Raising Men Lawn Care Services team, as well as a brand new lawnmower to continue their work.
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Smith said so far he has heard from dozens of children nationwide that are taking part in the challenge, and at least two children in England who are participating.
The organization never charges for lawn mowing services and operates on donations for gasoline and other expenses, according to Smith. In addition, the lawnmower engine makers Briggs and Stratton contribute lawnmowers, weed eaters and other equipment to the group.
Smith said the response has been overwhelming from both the youth who participate in the program, and those who receive the free lawn services.
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For a lot of the elderly, they just can't believe it, they are so grateful, Smith said. We have elderly people who just cry.Harrisonburg, Va. - In 2015, Rodney Smith Jr. came across an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn in Huntsville, Alabama. Most would have passed by and thought nothing of it. But Smith had a different idea. He pulled over and decided to help.
Smith set a goal for himself. He would mow forty more lawns by the end of winter. He mowed forty so quickly, that he upped his goal to one hundred. Only a month and half later, he mowed his hundredth lawn.
This gave Smith the idea for Raising Men Lawn Care Service. This service is a union of an “ordinary yard maintenance service and the commitment to establish an inspiring program to keep our youth (girls & boys) on a positive path while learning and understanding their value in society.”
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Shortly after starting this organization, Smith received a message from two mothers, one from Wichita, Kansas, and one from Marion, Ohio. Both said that they had sons and grandsons that wanted to be involved. This gave Smith the idea to start the 50-yard challenge and expand his reach to more communities. For every 10 lawns that a kid mows, they will receive a different color t-shirt. 50 mowed lawns earns them a black t-shirt and a visit from Smith himself along with a brand new lawn mower, weed eater, and blower.
“I believe, this generation, it’s important that kids learn how to give before they receive, ” Smith said. “In this day and age, a lot of kids are inside playing video games, so I want to encourage them to get out there and learn something about community service.”
Smith has mowed lawns in all 50 states – five separate times. Smith said that “it’s a calling” to mow lawns and run the organization, and necessary to help people who can’t do everything by themselves.
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Raising Men Lawn Care Service has been featured on BuzzFeed, NBC News, Fox News, and USA Today. Moving forward, Smith said he hopes to continue to grow and get more kids involved and expand the organization to have chapters nationwide.
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With more than 500 lawns mowed for free so far, the project has achieved that. But it's also had another unexpected benefit: It's given its creator, Rodney Smith Jr., a new purpose in his own life.
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Smith, 26, got the idea when he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. He decided on the spot that he was going to cut the man’s lawn, as well as the lawns of other people in need, as a way to give back to the community.
Once he reached his goal of cutting 100 lawns in barely more than a month, he decided to start Raising Men Lawn Care Service with friend Terrence Stroy. Smith, who moved to Alabama from Bermuda when he was 16, started by creating chapters in Bermuda and in Huntsville in January. It's now grown to six chapters, and expanded to Michigan, Florida, West Virginia and Ohio.
The goal is to provide free lawn care to the elderly, the disabled, single mothers and veterans using local volunteers and providing young boys with positive role models and an emphasis on charitable service.
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“It just came to me that we should involve kids to give them something to do and show the importance of giving back to the community, ’’ Smith told NBC News. “We give them some responsibility and build their morals.”
The rapid growth of the organization has inspired him to pursue a Master’s degree in social work at Alabama A&M after earning his undergraduate degree in computer science on May 6. His dream is to grow Raising Men Lawn Care into a national organization that is also part of after-school programs.
“Cutting grass made me find my purpose in life, and that was helping people, he said. “I decided it’s only right to get a Master’s in social work.”
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Smith was able to juggle his schoolwork with running the organization by mainly cutting lawns on the weekends and between classes. He is the first person to graduate from college in his family.
The organization is able to provide free services thanks to an online fundraising campaign that raised $56, 000 as well as a financial donation and new equipment by outdoor products company Briggs & Stratton. All the money goes toward lawn equipment, T-shirts and funding the start of new chapters.
Anyone ages 7 through 17 is welcome to get trained on using leafblowers, weeding, and mowing, Smith said. All they need is a desire to give back.
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“A lot of the lawn companies try to rip the elderly off and charge them a lot of money to get their grass cut, Smith said. “These people either pay to get it cut or don’t pay and get fined by the city (for having an overgrown yard). By us coming in and doing it for free, they can use that money for medication and stuff they really need.”
People like Mary Roche, 68, of Meridianville, Alabama, who has kidney disease and a bad back, have been grateful beneficiaries of the service.
“It was a big relief, Roche told NBC News. “I live on a fixed income, and I didn't know how I was going to manage it this summer.”
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Since he began soliciting local volunteers through word of mouth and the organization’s Facebook page in April, chapters have now began in Michigan and Florida, with two more set to start up in Ohio and West Virginia.
“They’re teaching them the right way to do things and stressing that by giving back it makes them feel good, Roche said. “I think it's just a fantastic thing with a positive role model for some kids who don't necessarily have that in their lives. Rodney is a very passionate young man about giving back and helping other people.”
Hundreds of emails have been sent by people interested in starting a chapter in their hometown. They have to go through an interview process and a background check to be approved, Smith said.
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