- Outdoor Independence, an Appleton-based landscaping company, is partnering with the military nonprofit Project EverGreen to provide free snow removal and lawn care for active-duty service members in Neenah
- Service members can sign up for assistance at ProjectEvergreen.org, where services are available 24/7 based on their needs
- Owner Randy Tunstall, a U.S. Army veteran and Neenah firefighter, says the initiative aims to ease stress on military families while their loved ones are deployed
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Appleton-based landscaping company Outdoor Independence is partnering with Project EverGreen, a military nonprofit, to offer free snow removal and lawn care for active-duty service members in Neenah.
"Yeah, it’s snowplowing and lawn care, but we can do a lot of good with those things," said Randy Tunstall, owner of Outdoor Independence.Project EverGreen, based in Ohio, provides free snow removal, lawn mowing, and other services to active military members across the country.
As part of the initiative, Outdoor Independence has been selected as a contractor to assist service members locally."With Project EverGreen, we’re selected as a contractor to provide free lawn care and snow removal for active-duty military personnel," Tunstall said.The company is focusing on assisting service members in Neenah.
Those eligible can sign up at ProjectEvergreen.org, where they can request services based on their needs. The assistance is available 24/7."Anybody can go ahead and sign up, put their information in, and let them know what their active duties are, and from there, Project EverGreen aligns the rest," Tunstall said.
For Tunstall, a U.S. Army veteran and first responder with the Neenah Fire Department, the mission is deeply personal.
"I’m also a veteran myself. I find it super beneficial and impactful to help the ones that sacrifice so much for our country," he said.
Operations Manager Courtney Pankey also shares a personal connection to the cause."I did a small stint in the Army myself, and I am also a first responder in fire and EMS," Pankey said.
Tunstall said the goal is to ease the burdens of military families while their loved ones are deployed.
"It’s rewarding, it’s fulfilling. It’s nice to know that we’re providing something that will be one less stress on their minds so they can focus on making it home safely," he said.
Outdoor Independence hopes to assist multiple families each week."We asked for at least 10 families to take care of. We can take on more if needed if the demand is there," Tunstall said.
While no service members have signed up yet, Tunstall said the team is ready to help as soon as requests come in.
