“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill.

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan.

“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” – Mandy Hale.

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” – Sally Koch.

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” – John Holmes.

“A benefactor is a representative of God.” – Benjamin Whichcote.

Are you looking for a way to help others? Volunteering your services is a way to give back to the community and help others in time of need. One initiative, GreenCare for Troops, provides complimentary lawn care and landscape services to deserving military families. From back yards to run in to green gardens to reflect in, thriving lawns, trees and plants go beyond the aesthetics; they provide military families with a place to relax and reconnect with one another, as well as contribute to a greener, healthier, cooler earth. As the program celebrates its 17th year, Project EverGreen proudly recognizes its volunteers and military heroes.

Why are green spaces important to military families? Parks, lawns, landscapes and maintained green spaces help to mitigate temperature increase in communities and significantly reduce energy use and cooling costs. Project EverGreen’s initiatives – GreenCare for Troops and GreenCare for Communities – have made a significant impact.

Through its nationwide base of professional volunteers, Project EverGreen has connected people, plants and their communities to maximize the health of grass, plants and trees, which in turn sequesters carbon and cleans the air. Both initiatives support healthy green spaces in neighborhoods and cities, enabling maintained green spaces to function as the lungs of the city and offsetting the negative effects of a warming environment. A single group or individual cannot transform lawns, landscapes and parks but Project EverGreen’s coalition of businesses and individuals helps maintain green spaces so they can thrive.

A managed lawn and yard provides vital space for military personnel to recover and re-connect with their families after returning from deployment. Delivering the services needed to create the green spaces that provide military families with peace of mind and freedom to heal is what Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops is all about. GreenCare for Troops is endorsed by the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Participation as a volunteer for Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops initiative is vital to the success of the program which provides free lawn care and landscape services to military families with a loved one who is deployed. Helping maintain yards where kids and pets can safely play and adults can relax, is more than just for curb appeal. Thriving lawns, trees and plants not only help the environment but also promote mental and physical wellness and can have a protective effect on the mental well-being of military families. Such volunteering helps minimize deployment stress while provided needed services to these military families left behind during designated deployment.

As volunteers, we’re proud to support the GreenCare for Troops program and lend a hand to help our local military families who already carry so much on their shoulders, the last thing they should be worrying about is fertilizing or mowing their lawn and keeping it alive while deployed. This is just one small way that you can say thank you for their dedication to our country and military service. and they are so grateful for each volunteer and this program.

GreenCare for Troops is a national volunteer network of lawn care and landscape professionals that donate their services and time to ease the burden on military families during a deployment. GreenCare for Troops marks its 17th year in 2023 and has provided an estimated $15 million in donated lawn and landscape services and peace of mind to thousands of military families in need across the country.

Green spaces make a significant difference in all our lives. They help us breathe cleaner air, they cool surface temperatures, and they help promote physical and mental wellness. That is why companies and individuals are proud volunteers with Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops, a nationwide initiative that provides free lawn care and landscape services to families of currently deployed military personnel.

Our yards provide an area for children to play and friends and family to relax and connect, creating a beautiful place that positively contributes to the environment and the relationships in our lives. However, not every military family has the time to stay on top of the upkeep of their lawns and yards.

As GreenCare for Troops volunteers, we remove that burden of lawn and yard maintenance off military families and provides the gift of green space when they are most in need of a place that can lift spirits and relieve stress. Giving back to military families that sacrifice so much for our country is a selfless act. The dedication military personnel have for our country is inspiring us to work one yard at a time to make a small difference in their lives.

By volunteering for this initiative, you are joining volunteers across the country to provide this valuable service to families in need of help. I have been serving as such a volunteer for several years and find it very rewarding to the heart and soul. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering or if you know a military family that is eligible to receive services, visit the GreenCare for Troops page on Project EverGreen’s website for more information at www.ProjectEverGreen.org or calling (888) 611-2955 for additional information, or contact me at csi_seagle@yahoo.com. GreenCare for Troops Awareness Week is June 18-24, 2023. Have a blessed week as summer officially arrives on Jun 21.

“Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9. “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10. “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23. “They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned… strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.” Acts 14:21-22.