DENVER — When Don Bardell and his family planted trees in their backyard, he never imagined that years later he’d be living in their home alone, unable to rake the leaves.
“I used to do it all myself, and I really enjoyed the work,” he said.
Bardell grew up farming, so “it just came natural” to garden. But then, as the years went on, he needed heart surgery – four bypasses and three stents – restricting what he can do.
But he can still appreciate hard work.
“They’re doing a good job,” he said, looking on as a group with rakes gathered up the mess, shoving crunchy leaves into bags and carrying them away.
“I'm really thankful,” he said.
The volunteers arrived in a yellow school bus from the Montessori School of Denver. Middle schoolers learning the value of giving back to community. All coordinated by the nonprofit A Little Help, which matches up those willing to help with those older community members in need.
As much as Bardell appreciates their help with the task at hand, their visit means a lot more, especially when they take breaks to talk with him inside.
On his dining room table, Bardell carefully laid out photographs of his family. In a double frame, he and his wife, both in their younger years, respectively wear a military uniform and a unitard for performing with a flaming baton.
“Since Shirley passed away, it's been hard,” he said. “She was my better half.”
They were married for 57 years.
“We had all the kids, and we had a good, good life,” he said.
Then Shirley passed away just over a year ago.
“I can get by pretty good,” he said. “But the evenings are long and it’s just me and the TV.”
Getting a chance to share his memories with some young visitors brought the spark back into his eyes.
Sixth grader Caiden Stallings said, “he showed us this little model tractor, since he was a farmer. He's a really nice guy, and I'm glad that we got him to work for.”
Chloe Richmand, a seventh grader, said, “it feels really good to help out the community.” And the experience was fun too, since the kids could talk and joke while doing the job, she said.
These connections are exactly what A Little Help is meant to foster, said Jake Dresden, the group’s director.
“We believe strongly that service is really good for people,” Dresden said. “It brings people together that wouldn't normally meet.”
Dresden started off volunteering about 12 years ago with his wife and kids. “Doing some leaf raking and shoveling snow,” he said.
Then five years ago, he took over running the group, which has been serving the Denver metro area for 20 years and is now expanding to Fort Collins, Berthoud, Loveland and parts of Weld County and Grand Junction.
Right now, A Little Help is “experiencing unprecedented demand,” as more elderly community members sign up for help than the group has available volunteers.
“We really would love for [more Coloradans] to get involved in whatever way you can,” Dresden said.
“It's really flexible. You do what you can, when you can, where you can,” he said. “Some people do one thing a year, some people do one thing a week.”
The volunteer help can look like yardwork, walking a dog, driving someone to an appointment or just spending time talking or playing a game.
Once you sign up online, “you can zoom into your neighborhood” and find someone nearby who needs the type of help you’re willing to offer.
“That creates stronger communities,” Dresden said. “It's good for your self-esteem, it's good for your health,” and that of the person you’re helping.
For Bardell, who spent the morning getting help and sharing conversation with young people, the program is “amazing.”
“If I could, I would be doing it, helping somebody,” he said.
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