Forest Hills Students Shovel Snow for Seniors

A group of Forest Hills students are shoveling snow for seniors who need help in the freezing and difficult-to-maneuver days of winter.

Gail Evans-Potter of Forest Hills is a parent involved in several local athletic organizations in the area. She said the borough approached her over the summer of 2010 to help organize a core group of helpers who would be willing to shovel driveways and walkways for seniors in the neighborhood.

“I sent e-mails out to all the parents for various sports and other associations in the area that work with kids and they forwarded it on,” Evans-Potter said. “We got a nice enough response and a list of kids who were interested in doing it.”

This is the first year for the snow-shoveling group, which includes about 15 students in the Forest Hills area.

The borough collected the names, phone numbers and addresses of the children willing to help and shared them with seniors and immobile residents interested in the support.

Through this system, those in need are able to call the students who live closest to them in the neighborhood. Evans-Potters’ son, Jordan, has been called a few times throughout the season during some of the heaviest snowfalls.

“The reason I thought it was a good idea is because kids for college and National Honors Society need volunteer hours,” she said.

If the winter program continues, Evans-Potter plans to work out the kinks and create a formalized way of signing forms and documenting volunteer hours. In some cases, those who are helped have insisted on paying a small fee at times.

“There are still kids who walk around the neighborhood and do it anyway, but this was a way to try and help those families or people in the borough that couldn’t do it on their own, didn’t know where to go and didn’t know where to turn to,” Evans-Potter said. “In theory, it’s a great idea – we’ll just have to see at the end of the year.”

Forest Hills Mayor Marty O’Malley was not surprised about the group and how it has helped neighbors to stay safe.

“It’s another typical example of Forest Hills community concern and how they care for one another,” O’Malley said.

She said when the winter is over, she will evaluate what the kids accomplished so far and see how it can be improved on next year.

In the meantime, Evans-Potter is happy the shovel program has helped some people in need, while at the same time, bringing neighbors together.

“I think it’s always good for generations to interact,” she said. “Anything that brings a young person together with a mature adult is really good for both.”

For more information or to get involved, e-mail gailevanspotter@verizon.net.