DC Snow Heroes Shovel Out Elderly and Disabled Neighbors

When a winter storm dumped 10 inches of snow on Washington, DC, this week, volunteers grabbed their shovels and hit the streets before their neighbors even asked for help.

The DC Snow Heroes, organized through the mayor's office volunteer program Serve DC, spent Monday clearing sidewalks for elderly residents, people with disabilities, and anyone struggling after the storm. The snow refroze overnight, creating dangerous ice that made walking treacherous.

Shirley Thomas, a DC resident who uses a crutch to get around, watched volunteers clear the snow and ice from her walkway. "It's not too many people in the world like that," she said.

David Ford, one of the Snow Heroes, explained why he spent his day shoveling for strangers. "As a community, we have to stick together, we have to do what we can do for one another, and it's a lot of people that are unable to do things, so that's where we come in," he told DC News Now.

Another volunteer put it simply: "Service is the gateway to all success."

The program targets homes where residents physically can't clear snow themselves. While city plows handle major roads first, these volunteers make sure everyone can safely leave their homes.

The Ripple Effect

Lamont Carey, Director of Community Affairs for Mayor Muriel Bowser's office, sees the program as building something bigger than clear sidewalks. "This is really neighbors helping your neighbors showing the kind of community and love that the mayor thrives off that we are building, and making sure that we sustain a district," he said.

The Snow Heroes program stays active throughout winter, ready to mobilize whenever storms hit. Anyone in the DC area can volunteer through the Serve DC website or request help if they need their walkway cleared.

In a city where snowstorms can isolate the most vulnerable residents, these volunteers prove that community means showing up with a shovel when your neighbors need you most.