A Less Obvious Need for a Neighbor

Living in place that gets snow, I’ve had my shovel ready in my car for about a month now. Fortunately (I’m not a fan of the snow), I’ve only had to bust it out once so far this season for some early morning strength training/shoveling.

In Massachusetts, laws vary from community to community about what residents are responsible for shoveling, but it’s common in urban areas for residents to be responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of their houses.

It’s usually not hard to find volunteers willing to help out an elderly or disabled neighbor who can’t shovel on their own. I know it’s probably preaching to the choir here, but I always try to point out that you should check with your neighbors to see if there’s some less obvious reason—a heart condition, maybe—that makes it tough for them to shovel.

People’s limitations are not always visible and it can be hard to ask for help when you appear otherwise healthy and capable of the job. So, if you’re lucky enough to be able to shovel, why not help out a neighbor?