Our Folks

The Our Folks program offers a low cost landscaping service to elderly, inner-city homeowners in the greater Bridgeport area.  Through the Our Folks program, Groundwork Bridgeport is able to reach out to senior citizens.  In addition, the program creates landscaping jobs, which provides able bodied workers who are struggling to find employment with valuable jobs and on the job training.

In Bridgeport and the surrounding areas there is a need for yard maintenance services for elderly homeowners living on small and often fixed incomes.  Groundwork Bridgeport has been providing basic landscaping services to this population on a small scale since 2005, and the fees are subsidized through grants from other organizations, which allows us to offer the services at a very low cost.  As knowledge of Groundwork Bridgeport’s services has spread in the surrounding areas, we have become extremely busy in keeping up with the demand from the Our Folks program.  Thus far, the organization does not have to actively seek clients due to referrals and positive word-of-mouth.

Many of our elderly residents have a very difficult time trying to maintain their homes in a safe and attractive state, and the goal of the program is to relieve these homeowners of difficult and hazardous yard work, allowing them to continue living independently at home.  As seniors age, they face more difficulty in performing landscape maintenance tasks such as mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, weeding flower beds, and raking leaves.  Moreover, many of the elderly feel vulnerable, do not trust commercial contractors, and do not want strangers working around their homes.  The results, especially in the inner-city, are homes and properties that grow increasingly unsightly, unsafe, and blighted due to years of neglect.  Often time, due to the small size of the lots, commercial landscapers avoid taking on such clients.  We are able to price our services 30-50% below commercial landscapers, which allows our elderly clients to extend their budgets, get quality yard care, and avoid the possible move into assisted living facilities.

Our First Client
Yolanda had a growing problem.  At 89, and living alone, she was unable to keep up with yard work at her home.  Her grass was high, the shrubs and trees needed pruning, and litter was blowing into her front yard.  Her home looked neglected, and was becoming a target for vandals and thieves.

Groundwork Bridgeport staff member with Yolanda at her home.

Groundwork Bridgeport found an answer to Yolanda’s problem.  Working with volunteers across from her home, Dick Tiani, GWB Executive Director, saw Yolanda weeding her garden.  He offered to help, and soon a group of high school students were mowing, raking and cleaning her yard.  A long term relationship was born between Yolanda and Groundwork Bridgeport, along with the program known as Our Folks.   In order to take on more clients in Bridgeport, the initial funding for the pilot program was provided by the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County.

Funding for the Our Folks program is provided by:
Fairfield County Community Foundation
Southwest Connecticut Agency on Aging
Barbara Leonhardt Fund