Volunteers Clear Mayfield Heights Yards of Leaves

Volunteers from the Mayor's Community Council and the Key Club spent Saturday clearing leaves from yards of senior citizens.

Dave Schmidt, who coordinated the event for the Mayor's Community Council, said this is the fourth year the service has been provided and he's seen several residents who were so grateful they were moved to tears.

"The people we go to help are so appreciative it's overwhelming," he said.

Teams spent Saturday morning at 18 households, including Nadine Finn's on Ranchland Drive. Finn told volunteers that senior citizens really appreciate the time and effort they were giving.

"There are no words to express my gratitude," she said. "This is an enormous stress breaker."

Mayor's Community Council member Jerry Rothenberg said homeowners are thankful that volunteers are tackling a task they may no longer be able to handle. He added that one resident who signed up for the service didn't have any leaves, but thought volunteers might be able to assist with a different outdoor chore.

"She wanted us to gather all the walnuts in the yard to feed the squirrels over the winter," he said.