Snowcare for our Troops

[blazer2plower]

OK Ill share one. A little background first. 10 years airborne Ranger. Small arms expert. I was plowing drive it was around 0330 or so when the front porch lights went off and on. I get out and go up to the house. The wife is telling me her 7 year old son is upset that dad left them. And will not listen to her and is being defient. She asks if I could talk to him. After I get done for the day. I come back and talk to him after I leave the kid is no longer upset. When I ask the spouse how she who I was she pointed out my rear window my DD214 and she knew I was not going todo something to her or her family

[Dogplow Dodge]

Great stories.... Thanks !

[caitlyncllc]

Originally Posted by Dogplow Dodge

I've been thinking about this since I heard about it last year.

Who here has volunteered, and actually cleared snow for families of veterans ? What was your experience like ? Did you actually meet the families, or just show up, clear snow and leave ?

Any stories you'd like to share to those of us thinking of providing this service ?
!
Thanks !

I signed up last year and had a family contact me for help. They were 30 minutes the wrong way, but staked the drive and committed anyway. Met the lady and chatted with her a bit. Met their little girl- makes it worth while knowing she will get to the bus in the morning without tromping thru the snow. I think i only plowed it twice because of the lack of snowfall, but it was a good experience and i will do the same this year if i get a chance.

[Plow horse]

Have not herd anything from anybody!! I guess there is no troops in the Unionville area!!

[Dogplow Dodge]

Originally Posted by Plow horse

Have not herd anything from anybody!! I guess there is no troops in the Unionville area!!

If you really care about helping, but don't want to wait, contact your local VFW. I'm sure someone there can hook you up..... and you can get a $1.25 beer while you wait....

[STSmike]

i signed up a few weeks ago and never heard anything back from them. i called and emailed but still nothing. i just went through the volunteer submission again. im hoping for a response soon. in the meantime i gave the word out to my buddy in the army and he is looking around at his base in indy for anyone in need. is there a place i can check to see if the submission went through?

[blazer_kid]

Maybe this was asked before but I dont feel like reading throught this whole thread. I'm just a homeowner with a plow but wouldn't mind helping out someone in need and lets face it I love plowing. My question is I don't have any plowing or buisnes insurance so if I sign up for this and get a family and am plowing them out for free and they come at me in spring that I craked there drive way, took a bush out, ripped some sod out ect ect or god forbid someone slips and falls what happens. Can they come after me or try to sue me or because I'm doing this free of charge do I not have anything to worrie about? Like I said I'd love to help and don't think anything like this will happen but in this day and age you can never be too safe.

[bossman34]

Originally Posted by STSmike

i signed up a few weeks ago and never heard anything back from them. i called and emailed but still nothing. i just went through the volunteer submission again. im hoping for a response soon. in the meantime i gave the word out to my buddy in the army and he is looking around at his base in indy for anyone in need. is there a place i can check to see if the submission went through?

You will need to be patient. There is only a few people working in that dept. Don't worry it went through they will only reply if there is a reason to. That's how it was with me too.

[blazer2plower]

I got my info in 2 weeks. But I was plowing for them before I knew of plowing for my brothers and sisters in arms. Call the air guard. Army guard. Army reverse. And ask for the FRG. ( family deadness group) and tell them what you want to do. And they will help you out. And for all of you who don't know. RANGERS LEAD THE WAY. and not the hockey team. But they do rock as well :-)

[Dogplow Dodge]

Originally Posted by blazer_kid

Maybe this was asked before but I dont feel like reading throught this whole thread. I'm just a homeowner with a plow but wouldn't mind helping out someone in need and lets face it I love plowing. My question is I don't have any plowing or buisnes insurance so if I sign up for this and get a family and am plowing them out for free and they come at me in spring that I craked there drive way, took a bush out, ripped some sod out ect ect or god forbid someone slips and falls what happens. Can they come after me or try to sue me or because I'm doing this free of charge do I not have anything to worrie about? Like I said I'd love to help and don't think anything like this will happen but in this day and age you can never be too safe.

First and foremost, you can be sued for anything.

Whether or not you will owe anything, is another story. Unlikely that you would be brought into court for a "volunteer effort", but nothing is impossible. It would pretty much depend on the person you're doing the plowing for, and the idiots in the jury panel.

Most court systems find people who volunteer their services not liable for their actions if they performed their task with "good intent" and "due diligence". This has been before the court systems where doctors, first aiders, and the like stopped at an accident (or just regular people as well) and someone perished while they were trying to save them, and the family sued.

When the courts look at this, they try to determine if the person's intent was to help. I believe it's called the "good Samaritan Doctrine" as you can see in this link

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedicti...ritan+Doctrine

Plow away and have fun. You can always ask for forgiveness later

[birddseedd]

ill sign up for a drive.

[birddseedd]

Originally Posted by Dogplow Dodge

First and foremost, you can be sued for anything.

Whether or not you will owe anything, is another story. Unlikely that you would be brought into court for a "volunteer effort", but nothing is impossible. It would pretty much depend on the person you're doing the plowing for, and the idiots in the jury panel.

Most court systems find people who volunteer their services not liable for their actions if they performed their task with "good intent" and "due diligence". This has been before the court systems where doctors, first aiders, and the like stopped at an accident (or just regular people as well) and someone perished while they were trying to save them, and the family sued.

When the courts look at this, they try to determine if the person's intent was to help. I believe it's called the "good Samaritan Doctrine" as you can see in this link

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedicti...ritan+Doctrine

Plow away and have fun. You can always ask for forgiveness later

I agree. the only time you would really lose a suite is if it was obvious negligence. if you plow down the garage door or something. evne if you scratch a strip of turf a handfull of grass seed would fix it.

[merrimacmill]

I have been trying to sign up for Snowcare For Troops for months now. I have filled out the app on the website, emailed every e-mail address I can find, called the number leaving many messages, and even called boss (their sponsor) and explained to them what was going on. They gave me another couple e-mail addresses and STILL no response.

If someone from Snowcare reads this thread, contact me please!

[birddseedd]

Originally Posted by merrimacmill

I have been trying to sign up for Snowcare For Troops for months now. I have filled out the app on the website, emailed every e-mail address I can find, called the number leaving many messages, and even called boss (their sponsor) and explained to them what was going on. They gave me another couple e-mail addresses and STILL no response.

If someone from Snowcare reads this thread, contact me please!

if you want to help. you can simply put an ad on craigs list for your town

which if they are not in tha tmuch need of help i might just do that. is weird. i signed up to donate bone marrow, was a couple years ago. i figured there woudl be more need than that. maybe my dna is unique. shrugs

[Somerville Stud]

I'm an 11 year Soldier based out of Fort Drum, NY and currently on my third combat deployment. I'm part of this forum because I’m planning on starting up a plowing business after i retire and like to gain as much knowledge as i can from people like you, who know what you're talking about.
Just today i found this thread and found out about the Snowcare for Troops operation that people such as yourselves have implemented and supported. I know that each one of you do this to support the troops and at the same time i also know that everyone likes to be thanked. So i will thank you all by sharing MY families situation and in result showing you all how much a "small" task can help out in a BIG way.
Like i stated, I’m currently deployed and have been for 6 months now. So i have been gone from home the entire snow season. This winter, had i been home, i would have bought a plow for my truck to plow my 100 foot long driveway. But since i was deploying and i knew my wife wasn't going to plow, i didn't get one. Lucky for me, an older fella down the road offered to keep my drive clear while i was away. It's been a great help for my wife.
My wife's daily routine is as follows;
-wake up early and wake my 11 year old son and 8 year old daughter up for school.
-Make them breakfast and ensure they conduct personal hygiene and get dressed, get all school supplies together and ready for school.
-walk the kids to the bus when it arrives.
-take a shower and get dressed for work (20 minute drive).
-work 5 hours Monday through Friday.
-come home in time to get the kids off the bus.
-get the kids an after school snack and get them working on homework.
-continue to work on her college classes online (full time student)
-check kids homework for accuracy.
-make dinner.
-clean dishes and other daily chores around the house.
-get back on the computer to finish school work and hope i jump on facebook while she is on so she can talk to me before she calls it a night.
-go to sleep and start it all over again in the morning.
-lets not forget that things that need to be done around the house normally get done by two, and now getting done by 1.
-lets also keep in mind that there is only one parent and raising 2 young children takes a lot of work. (school functions, after school functions, play dates, etc.. all take time out of the day.
-lets keep in mind the amount of stress the typical military spouse deals with while her Soldier is deployed.

That is a gimps into her daily life while I’m gone. So it's easy to see how a "small" gesture like plowing the drive goes a very long way.

So again, thank you all for what you are doing!! It doesn't go unnoticed and it isn't just for her. Knowing our spouses are taken care of back home gives us Solders piece of mind over here and helps us stay focused on the tasks that we have at hand

[bossman34]

I know that although I don't do it for glory, it is still great to be told thank you. The last family I helped out was so very nice, the family had 5 kids and taking care of there drive was a huge help I was told. Heck I still took care of it after the soldier came home mid-winter. So now I say Thank You!

[birddseedd]

nobody called me when I signed up

[bossman34]

You have to understand that they don't have much for staff, you usually only get contacted if someone in your area asked for service. So don't get to upset, be patient

[birddseedd]

I didn't mean to come of as upset. I was just saying.

I might foo the same for mowing and put an add on Craig's list. then I can have my own stipulations and know who I am mowing for does need it. I would imagine a lot of military wives would tend to be stay at home wife's. but I dunno tho. cost of living is always on the rise. not a lot of people can get by on one income. but if she is making 80k on top of his 80k I think they can afford lawn care. but I'd she is only part time to help I don't mind helping some more