Man starts non-profit providing free lawn services after being laid off during the pandemic

During the pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs. Most individuals were forced to contend with a debilitating job market. Many went on a massive job search while others became more creative and started their own ventures. Brian Schwartz, a man who became unemployed during the pandemic like many others, saw it as an opportunity to do something different. He quickly started a volunteer lawn mowing organization, aptly named, "I Want To Mow Your Lawn." He intended to assist elderly people, individuals with disabilities and veterans by mowing their lawns, trimming hedges and pruning trees for free.

The non-profit organization's official website describes how Schwartz was let go from a digital advertising job and wanted to seek out a way he could help others, having gone through a rough patch himself. Since its creation in 2020, the initiative has grown massively, with over 500 volunteers across 46 states. They have racked up over 2000 lawn visits, which is an impressive feat. The website also mentions how they not only wanted to make lawns better looking but wanted to do so by using battery-powered electric equipment, causing minimal damage to the environment.

Shwartz shared a few insights on the website about his involvement. He said, "Mowing lawns may not seem like a big deal, but as I continued to do it, I found myself uplifting others across the nation during a time when they needed it most." He mentions how the initiative contributed to more kindness in the community and created awareness about environment-friendly methods on a national scale. Schwartz talks about how people needed help with their lawns, whether there was a pandemic or not and his organization filled that gap.

He told Good News Network, "When we help someone like Edna, a dedicated teacher juggling personal battles or Peter, a D-Day Veteran who stormed the Beaches of Normandy, it's incredibly fulfilling. Every lawn mowed is not just grass cut; it's a relief provided, a burden eased and a community strengthened." The organization has now expanded to have a board of directors, tons of volunteers, landscaping companies, network partners and donors while being officially registered as a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization.

His late father was also very supportive of his initiative and made a generous contribution to their GoFundMe campaign to become a 501c3 organization. He says, "The notion of him looking down with pride, knowing that we're making a tangible difference, is a powerful driving force." Shwartz is also the father to a boy, Dylan, who gets to see his father making such a massive contribution to society. He mentions how he sees it as an influence on the younger generations.

The organization also offers many services in addition to mowing lawns, such as garden planning, installation of rock gardens and helping people to switch to cleaner battery-operated equipment rather than those that rely on conventional fuel. In terms of helping the environment, the organization also has a "No Mow May" petition that has got 700 signatures from many clients. The petition aims to preserve lawns as they are so that they can be food sources for pollinating insects during spring. Shwartz's initiative is a big testament to just how much of a difference people can make if they take the right steps.