Susan Cade, Lawrence, knows how dangerous a snow-covered sidewalk can be. Last January, Cade walked from her front door to the edge of her driveway to get the mail. On the way, she lost her footing and fell. A trip to the hospital revealed a sprained left wrist, but nothing more.
"I'm a healthy person, but at my age, I'm getting frail," the 83-year-old said.
Dacia McCabe Maher talks about the city ordinance on snow removal, and how she would like the Safe Winter Walkways program improve in the future. Video by Ryan Elder
As the winter season bears down on Northeast Kansas, the city of Lawrence has teamed up with Douglas County Senior Services to make sure the elderly and disabled have their sidewalks cleared of snow and ice. The Safe Winter Walkways program is intended to make winter conditions safer, as well as reduce the chances that those who can't shovel their property aren't at risk for city fines.
Dacia McCabe Maher, student intern for Douglas County Senior Services and director of the Safe Winter Walkways program, said many elderly people are not able to shovel their sidewalks for a variety of reasons.
"Some of our clients come to us because they are just too weak to shovel the snow, while others have an illness or disability that prevents them from getting out of their house," she said.
This year, the program has 12 returning clients from last year, in addition to eight new clients. However, there are only five returning volunteers from last year, so at least 15 more volunteers are still needed to remove snow. The deadline to apply for the program, either as a client or volunteer, is January 1, 2009.
McCabe Maher said that the program is operated solely on trust. Douglas County Senior Services doesn't run any background checks on the clients who have applied for the service. Instead, it trusts that the people who claim to need the assistance really do need help shoveling their sidewalks.
Graphic by Ryan Elder. Information provided by North Dakota State University
Men and women of all ages have have helped with the program in the past, but one demographic has been missing: college students. McCabe Maher said some students have expressed interest in the program, but none have officially signed up to participate.
"I think this is a really good opportunity for college-aged kids. Most students are physically able to handle the cold for half an hour, and I know a lot of students are looking for philanthropy work anyway," she said.
If the program doesn't get enough volunteers, then the employees at the Douglas County Senior Services center bundle up and grab a shovel. One way or another, McCabe Maher said, all the clients' sidewalks are shoveled so they don't face fines.
On December 2, city commissioners approved plans to make a new and stricter city ordinance regarding the timeliness of snow removal. The current ordinance, 7456, gives property owners six days to shovel snow from the sidewalks that go through their property before a $20 fine is issued. Under the new ordinance, owners will only have 48 hours to clear the snow before receiving a fine. McCabe Maher said the new ordinance creates more urgency for the program to get more volunteers.
"It's important that the sidewalks are shoveled. The elderly are some of the most susceptible to suffering an injury on slippery sidewalks," she said. "One of our new clients this year, her husband died last year while shoveling his driveway. This program is important."
Cade is new to the program this year. She said her accident last winter was the main reason she applied for the service. She considers herself a relatively healthy person, but she doesn't want to take anymore chances when he sidewalks are covered in snow or ice.
"I'm excited about it," she said. "It will help me save energy and allow me to stay away from the cold weather, but I will also be able to get my mail without worrying about slipping."
