GLEN BURNIE, Md. — On his off days you'll find Navy veteran Springer Blankenship in overgrown lawns in need of trimming.
Blankenship volunteers with I Want To Mow Your Lawn, a nonprofit that provides free lawn care to people who can't do it themselves.
"Every lawn that I've started with has definitely been overgrown or un-kept or mismanaged," said Blankenship.
The nonprofit's mission statement starts with preserving the dignity of the people they serve.
"This would be my second wheelchair bound person then a couple of older of people in their 80's who can't get out there anymore and are on a fixed or limited income and can't afford to maintain that lawn; and they feel a little bit of shame when they can't maintain that lawn like they used to," said Blankenship.
So, while most find it crazy to spend a midweek off day during a heat wave doing yard work for free, Springer saw it as the perfect opportunity to get a bigger job done.
It gives him a purpose, a task to complete and someone to help.
Things tough to find when he left the navy.
"Joining the military at 19 and serving 20 years, I had been in longer than I had not been in the navy so doing lawn care and stuff like this helps me be able to clear my mind and just put my headphones on and go to work," said Blankenship.
While the service is mowing lawns, sometimes lending an ear is the most helpful part.
"Sometimes it feels like some of these people just want somebody to talk to more than they want their lawn taken care of, and some of them will just sit there and talk to me forever. Mrs. Peggy, one of the people I do it for, she always brings me out snacks and water and stuff and I swear I spend more time talking to her than I do mowing her lawn," said Blankenship.
Giving back, one lawn at a time.
For anyone interested in volunteering or receiving lawn care help click here.
