Cranberry Township volunteer program rewarding
Christopher Minton found out in 2021 that Cranberry Township started a volunteer program where people could sign up to shovel walkways or driveways for people in need, so he decided to get involved with his whole family.
It all just snowballed from there.
“We blasted emails to a bunch of people to help get it up and running,” said Minton, of Cranberry Township. “We've gotten varsity football players involved, youth and cheerleaders … While we were out, other people would ask for help even if they didn't sign up.”
The return of snow covered driveways and sidewalks in Cranberry Township also signals the return of Snow Angels, a group of volunteers who sign up each year to shovel snow for people who may not be able to do it themselves.
Tina Fedko, communications director for Cranberry Township, said the program is in need of more volunteers this season, and people have already begun applying to have their properties shoveled by volunteers for the winter.
“You have to be a Cranberry resident to receive assistance, but you don't have to live in Cranberry to be a volunteer,” Fedko said. “The matches that we made between volunteers and residents, they are forming lifelong friendships with neighbors who they might not have met.”
Snow Angels is a program through Volunteer Cranberry, which has seasonal programs for people to help out residents of Cranberry Township. Fedko said the township’s community response team began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has grown since then.
Each individual Snow Angel or volunteer group is paired with a residential “match” and visits the property throughout the winter months to ensure that walkways and driveways remain clear, according to a news release from the township. According to Fedko, the volunteer base is made up of athletic teams, church groups, homeschool groups, scouts and families.
“It's wonderful because we have seen such a great closure of a generational gap,” Fedko said. “We have young adults helping our older generation, and it's amazing to see what this program has done.”
People can apply to be a recipient of Snow Angel help, according to Fedko. She also said the township had more than 30 requests for snow removers last year, and volunteers were able to fulfill them all.
Fedko said that while the township helps facilitate communication between volunteers and the people they help, the two parties will often begin communicating on their own to set up snow removal when needed.
“These volunteers, they commit to a full winter season for a resident,” Fedko said. “It's per snowstorm, which you really have to have special volunteers who would do that for all their residents.”
Minton said getting involved with the program has been a good experience for himself and his family.
“The kids learned what it means to be a leader in the community and help out your fellow brethren,” Minton said. “It's a great community-building program; you get to know your neighbors.”
To sign up for the Cranberry Township Snow Angels, visit cranberrytownship.org.
