Dozens of Aurora homeowners on waitlist for help shoveling
Clearing heavy snow can be physically demanding and many neighbors need a hand. The city of Aurora is looking for volunteers to help struggling homeowners after storms.
Aurora's Snow Busters program pairs volunteers with neighbors who have limited financial resources and are incapable of shoveling their own sidewalks due to age, disability, or other conditions.
Anthony Bolton with Aurora's Community Services Department says there are about 60 homeowners looking for Snow Buster assistance.
"The majority of calls I get from folks who are requesting assistance usually say something along the lines of 'I wish I could do it myself, but I just can't,'" said Bolton. "I think it can be tough for some people who have been shoveling their own snow for decades and decades to ask for that kind of help."
Gerald Bohmer is looking for help shoveling for the first time in his life.
"I love shoveling snow. I look forward to it every year, and this year is more of a challenge than in the past," said Bohmer. "I'm getting to the point where I need help. And I have to admit that I need help."
Bohmer had part of his leg amputated last year.
Blocks from where he lives, a volunteer spent the morning shoveling home after home in a neighborhood not his own. Angelo Demaio has been a Snow Buster for two years.
"I picked a home here and there," Demaio laughed. "They would offer me some money or and I said, I'm already here as a volunteer. When I come over and do these other houses, I'll just do yours as well. I'm here already. Why not make someone's life easier."
Snow Busters are committed to helping one person for each snow season.
To volunteer you must:
- Commit to assisting the resident in need for an entire snow season, beginning in the fall and ending in the spring
- Shovel the public sidewalk of the resident within 24 hours of a snowfall of 2 inches or more
- Be 14 years of age or older (14- and 15-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent or guardian)
- Pass a background check
To inquire about the Snow Busters program, please call 303-739.-7280 or visit the city of Aurora's official site.
