College Student Starts Free Lawn Care Service Cutting Lawns of Elderly and Disabled

A Huntsville, Alabama man by the name of Rodney Smith Jr. is making a major difference in the lives of the elderly, the disabled, and single mothers. Smith is cutting their lawns.

Originally from Bermuda, Smith attends college at Alabama A&M University and started cutting grass in his free time after he saw an elderly man mowing his lawn and thought he should do something to help.

He started cutting grass in September 2015 with the goal of doing 40 lawns. He finished the 40 lawns ahead of schedule, so he thought why not do more. He then set another goal of doing 100 before winter, which he also achieved.

Smith told WHNT News 19, “It’s the Bermudian way of giving back.”

“We always like to give back to people,” he added.

After a woman named Dawn Reynolds nominated him for WHNT’s Pay it Forward initiative, the station surprised him with $319, which he used to start Raising Men Lawn Care Service – a service dedicated to not only cutting the lawns of the elderly, disabled and single mothers for free, but also “to establish an inspiring program to keep our young men and boys (young women and girls) on a positive path while learning and understanding their value in society,” according Smith’s GoFundMe page.

“I am just really impressed at what he’s doing,” Reynolds told WHNT. “He’s a young man doing wonderful things and I think that’s missing in the world today.”

Smith says that all the money raised will go to purchasing lawn equipment, t-shirts, materials, and refreshments “just to name a few.”

He also urges that no donation is too small.

Smith writes, “I want to show our children (our future) that by helping others they too will receive a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem, moral value and purpose in themselves. The message I want to instill is no matter how young or old, small or tall they are or cultural background they come from, they are capable of whatever they put their mind to.”

You can donate to Raising Men here.