Make a Difference Day
Plymouth Community United Way and our partner agencies work tirelessly all year long to provide programs of support to the residents of Plymouth, Canton, and Western Wayne. Our partner agencies provide programs of support for the young and the elderly, and everyone in between. One of the ways PCUW supports the elderly and those with disabilities in our community is through our annual Make a Difference Day. The purpose of Make a Difference Day is to assist the elderly and homeowners with disabilities to prepare their yards for the Michigan winter weather.
In 2017, over 300 volunteers gathered at Plymouth First United Methodist Church for a light breakfast before gathering up their rakes, lawn bags and work gloves to rake leaves and provide outdoor clean-up for senior citizens and homeowners with disabilities in Plymouth and Canton. Volunteers were made up of community members looking to help out their fellow neighbors, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops from local elementary schools, employees from corporations and businesses like Adient and JTEKT NA Corporation, as well as teams and clubs from Plymouth, Canton and Salem High Schools. “The Salem Hockey Team has raked our yard for many years in the past. My father enjoys seeing them each year,” said Yvonne Begian, a homeowner who has benefited from this service. It is because of generous volunteers like these that PCUW was able to “Make a Difference” at over 65 homes in 2017.
In both 2018 and 2019, Make a Difference Day had to be cancelled due to inclement weather but the pandemic did not stop us in 2020.
2020 was especially challenging, yet it was so encouraging to still have so many wonderful volunteers willing to take the time to help others. While the event was smaller and run differently, to abide by Covid-19 safety protocols, PCUW was still able to aid those in need of yard clean-up assistance. We were able to provide yard clean-up to all the seniors and disabled individuals who requested the service, over 30 houses, and had nearly 150 volunteers! We are grateful for the continued support of community members, local teams, and businesses. In these uncertain times, we continue to be impressed and encouraged by the heart of our volunteers. This year, the generous donation of time was appreciated more than ever.
