Helena volunteers help neighbors with free spring cleanup and repairs

More than 200 volunteers spread across 18 Helena locations are giving older homeowners, residents with disabilities and veterans a free hand with spring cleanup and light repairs that can be hard to manage alone. Crews of 8 to 12 people at each site usually finish the work in just a few hours, turning a season of stress into a day of real relief.

The fifth-year Spirit of Service effort brings volunteers to yards and exteriors across Helena, East Helena and the valley for jobs that range from painting and deck repairs to hedge trimming, tree trimming, lawn maintenance and pressure washing. The work is practical, but it is also costly when homeowners have to hire it out. Patricia Buerman said paying someone just to clean her gutters had run her $700 in the past.

Jeff Buscher of United Way frames the project as a springtime way to connect local groups with neighbors who need help, and community sponsorships cover the costs so the repairs stay free for homeowners. Buerman’s experience shows why that matters: even basic upkeep can become a major bill for people living on fixed incomes or dealing with mobility limits. Alana Listoe said one of her coworkers already planned to keep visiting the homeowner she helped, a sign that the program can build relationships long after the last bag of debris is hauled away.

The countywide need is easy to see in the numbers. Lewis and Clark County’s population was estimated at 75,331 in July 2025, and 21.4% of residents were 65 or older. Census estimates also list 5,583 veterans, 31,215 households, a 70.1% owner-occupied housing rate and a median owner-occupied home value of $393,500. Montana’s Aging Services Bureau, the state’s designated State Unit on Aging, works with nine Area Agencies on Aging, underscoring how many residents may need some form of support as they age in place.

Neighbors who qualify for help, including senior citizens, people with disabilities and veterans who have difficulty completing exterior home maintenance, can contact United Way of the Lewis & Clark Area at 406-442-4360 or info@unitedwaylca.org. The office is at 75 East Lyndale Avenue in Helena, and volunteers or business sponsors can use the same contact information to get involved. In a county where home maintenance can quickly outpace a fixed budget, Spirit of Service has become one of Helena’s clearest examples of neighbors taking care of neighbors.