When Brian Schwartz got laid off in 2020, right in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was upside down. In addition to losing his job, he was a new father who was also caring for a sick parent. On top of that, the whole world felt uncertain and unmoored in a way none of us had ever experienced.
One could sit at home and wallow in such circumstances. But Schwartz took another tack; he looked outside of himself to see where he could help someone else. He noticed some elderly neighbors needed help with their yards and figured that was a safe, socially distanced way to offer some service.
Now, that single idea has blossomed into a full-fledged, award-winning network of 2,100 volunteers. Neighbors helping neighbors, in every state in the nation. And it’s still growing.
How I Want to Mow Your Lawn works for volunteers
Schwartz named the organization I Want to Mow Your Lawn. Here’s how it works on the volunteer side:
Volunteers can sign up and offer yard services in their local areas. You don’t need special training or equipment—you just offer whatever services you can do. And if you only have equipment to offer, you can either loan or donate it through the organization’s Pay It Forward marketplace,
“We sometimes work with lawn care creators and even professional landscapers, but most of our volunteers are everyday neighbors,” Schwartz explains. He also makes the expectation clear that each volunteer service is a one-time offering, not an ongoing promise or commitment (which would be a lot more complicated to manage). “We offer temporary relief when someone nearby is available, and we can’t guarantee a visit or ongoing service,” he explains.
Schwartz shares that I Want to Mow Your Lawn has tried to make connections with neighbors as easy as possible: “Volunteers can get alerts about nearby requests and call or text homeowners without sharing their personal phone numbers. Our Buddy System lets volunteers team up, and churches, workplaces and other groups can organize a service day.”
He says volunteers have made more than 3,100 free service visits so far.
How it works for recipients
Those with a yard service need have multiple avenues for getting matched up with a volunteer. The website has an online intake form, but that isn’t always the easiest route for seniors.
“About a third of requests come through our phone line, 862-66-MOWER, because many of the people who need us aren’t online,” Schwartz explains. “They can leave a message in their own words, and we get it to volunteers nearby. More than 100 case managers and social workers have also referred people to us.”
Schwartz points out that it’s not just an aesthetic need being filled in many cases. Overgrown yards can also be trip hazards for elderly folks.
“Two AARP Community Challenge grants this year are also helping us make homes and streets safer for older residents,” he says. “That’s another part of what this has grown into. Yard work can be about being able to get around your home safely, too.”
Beyond the lawn: An Air Force veteran gets an extra surprise
When Schwarz first started mowing lawns for free, he focused on elderly neighbors and veterans. For Veterans Day this year, he got to do something extra special.
“I teamed up with lawn care creators Nathan’s Lawns and Gardens from Australia and Kyle Breiner of Breiner Lawn from Ohio right here in New Jersey to transform an Air Force veteran’s yard,” he told Upworthy.
Marcy served in the U.S. Air Force, but has faced struggles in her life since. She became homeless with her children after leaving a domestic violence situation. Her granddaughter has medical needs and lives in Texas, so she doesn’t get to see her very often in person. Watch:
In addition to the $200 Nathan handed her, the lawn legends launched a GoFundMe for Marcy, which has raised $3,000 as of the writing of this article. (You can find the GoFundMe here to show Marcy some extra love.)
Providing volunteer lawn care has truly become a widespread group effort, as Schwartz stays connected with other like-minded individuals and organizations. For example, Rodney Smith, Jr. (aka The Lawnmower Man, whom Upworthy has written about before), is a resource partner for I Want to Mow Your Lawn.
“Rodney focuses a lot on engaging younger generations, including elementary school students, while we’re working primarily with adults and handling the end-to-end process of connecting volunteers with people who need help,” Schwartz says. “There’s quite a bit happening behind the scenes on the technology side, too, including automation to help make those connections easier and more efficient. As we both like to say, there’s still plenty of grass to mow!”
The need still outweighs the supply of volunteers—and you can help
There is, indeed, plenty of grass to mow. In fact, in the past year, requests for I Want to Mow Your Lawn services have nearly doubled.
“From January 1 through November 10 this year, we received 7,049 requests for help, and 679 new volunteers signed up,” Schwartz shares. “Having volunteers in every state doesn’t mean we have someone in every neighborhood.”
The need is real. “At our busiest point this summer, we received more than 60 requests a day,” Schwartz explains. “About half of those asking are 65 or older, roughly three in four report a disability or physical limitation, and about one in seven are veterans.”
Still, the volunteer numbers are growing. “We have more than 2,100 approved volunteers across all 50 states now, people willing to give their own time for someone they’ve never met,” Shwartz says. “That still gets me.”
Schwartz is back to full-time work now and runs I Want to Mow Your Lawn in his free time. He says it works well because “it’s something people can actually do.” Even the Yankees can do it:
“You don’t have to solve everything in someone’s life to take one thing off their shoulders,” he says. “A caregiver in Arizona once wrote to me (she posted a review on our Facebook page) after a group of volunteers cleared an overgrown yard: ‘Brian I thank you for giving James the sky back.’ That says it better than I can.”
“I’m proud of how far this has come and grateful to everyone who helped build it,” he adds. “At the same time, I read the stories coming in and think about the people we haven’t been able to reach. It’s hard knowing someone needs help and having to be honest that we can’t promise it. That’s what keeps me motivated to keep building this. We’ve made a difference, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Check out the I Want to Mow Your Lawn website to learn how to volunteer in your neighborhood.
