Student Wants to be Good Neighbor, Mows 50 Lawns in 50 States

GoodNewsNetwork.com writes:

Most people don’t necessarily enjoy mowing the lawn – but Rodney Smith Jr. has made it his calling.

The Greensville, Alabama student is spending his summer cutting 50 lawns in 50 states in order to inspire others to do the same.

All the lawns that Rodney mows are owned by elderly or disabled homeowners, single moms, and military personnel – and he mows them all for free.

The Bermudan native first got the idea when he saw an elderly man struggling to cut his grass. Rodney figured that since he was young and able-bodied, he had a responsibility to step up and help take care of his community.

After mowing over 100 lawns in his region, Rodney started the Raising Men Lawn Care Service. For every ten lawns that are mowed by participating young men, they earn a differently colored tee shirt – much like the karate belt system. Participants are then given a sense of accomplishment for assisting those in need.

Rodney is currently on his 22nd stop in Elgin, Illinois, while his “50-yard challenge” has already been accepted by several other volunteers.

Once Rodney finishes with his lawn care road trip, he reportedly plans on going back to school in order to get his master’s degree in social work.

(WATCH the video below)

About the Author

McKinley Corbley: Editor and writer for GNN; part-time circus junkie; and part-time English student in community college. Enjoys feminism, bad puns, travel, and copious amounts of stomach-ache inducing pasta.

Source: http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/student-wants-good-neighbor-mows-50-lawns-50-states/