Dispatch From Upper Falls - A Barn Raising

Like the famous barn raisings in Amish country, every spring, neighbors across Newton get together and as a group, take on projects for the good of the whole community – NewtonSERVES.

This year’s NewtonSERVES day is next Sunday, April 29.  Volunteers will be pitching in and helping out with 57 different projects across the city.  One of the wonderful things about NewtonSERVES is that with such a variety of projects, everyone can find something they’d like doing – indoor or outdoor - painting, carpentry, landscaping, gardening, picking up trash ....  Whatever way you’d like to help out and whatever neighborhood you’d like to help out in – there’s a project for you.

I’ll put in a personal plug for two projects in our neighborhood – Upper Falls Greenway cleanup and the Countryside School cleanup.  If you don’t like those, just go to the NewtonSERVES web site and find a project in your neighborhood.

Like a barn raising, it’s an amazing thing to see what a large group of neighbors can do if they all pull in the same direction at the same time.  Aside from the worthwhile projects though, it’s just a great way to meet some of your neighbors and maybe get a bit of exercise.

Check it out, sign up today, and come join the barn raising next weekend.