Friends of Trees volunteers offer a hand
Kayla Norberg, 24, who has worked for Home Depot for five-years, helps clear the yard of a homebound senior on Northeast 25th Avenue as part of a Friends of Trees public service Leaf Harvest campaign. Photo by Mindy Cooper/The Portland Observer
Residents and volunteers were seen scattered about neighborhood lawns last week and over the weekend as they collected and bagged leaves from the yards of homebound seniors during the second annual Portland Leaf Harvest.
The local non-profit Friends of Trees, which is dedicated to bringing the metro area together to plant and care for the city’s green spaces, organized the event and partnered with Home Depot and Loaves and Fishes Center.
“The Portland Leaf Harvest encourages neighbors to look out for one another, and offer a hand to those who might not be able to work in their yard,” said Brighton West, the program director for Friends of Trees and the brains behind the Portland Leaf Harvest program. “Trees make our city livable, and so does helping those who are less able.”
According to the organization, the purpose of the leaf harvest is to encourage individuals throughout the Portland area to unite together and support a healthy community. We hope this will serve as a model for other groups to follow, said West. “We are raking the leave of seniors, but really what we are trying to do is change the mindset of people to help people who are in need.”
Kayla Norberg, 24, who has worked for Home Depot for five-years, joined the effort on Thursday. She said she was happy to out of the office, and expressed her excitement to be helping the community on such a beautiful day.
“I am just hoping to be able to help others who have trouble getting ready for the winter season,” she said.
