Free Lawn Mowing

In the summer months when the weather is unbearably hot, few look forward to mowing the lawn. For those who are homebound, lack the necessary equipment, or cannot afford a lawn cut, the growing grass can become a source of frustration. By providing a free lawn mowing service, you can ease their burden and brighten their day with a fresh cut lawn.

Steps

• Choose the recipients for your service. Decide if you will target the needy or simply blitz the neighborhood with the free service.
• Decide a time and date for the project. Start in the morning after the dew on the grass
• Advertise the project at your church to recruit volunteers and to borrow equipments.
• Gather your supplies, e.g. lawnmower, lawn rake, weed-eater, hedge-trimmer, etc. Consider using a push reel lawnmower if the lawn is less than 500 square feet.
• On the day of service, greet the homeowners and start mowing. Here are some guidelines:
  • Wear protective footwear and eye protection.
  • Clean the yard of sticks, branches, toys, or anything that might get caught in the lawnmower blades or hurt someone. Especially look for rocks, as they can be thrown into windows by the mower.
  • Mow the lawn in a pattern, i.e. in rows or columns, not around in a spiral. Remember to use extreme caution when mowing on inclines such as ditch banks.
  • Tidy up after mowing using a lawn rake.
  • Clean off the lawnmower blades with water (or follow machine directions).
• Spend some time with the homeowners before you leave.
• Return the lawnmowers in good condition.

Tips

• A lawn cut can cost from $20 to $40. Be careful not to take away a customer of existing lawn service workers, as they will lose a source of income.
• Take safety precautions. Be sure that there are no children or pets around you as you mow the lawn.