Project Evergreen, a national nonprofit organization that promotes the maintenance and use of green spaces launched ?EUR??,,????'??GreenCare for Troops: Serving While You Serve Us,?EUR??,,????'?? a national outreach program designed to enable local lawn and landscape firms to perform a worthwhile public service for the men and women serving our country overseas in the armed forces.

Michael Ralph makes sure some military families enjoy a freshly mowed yard while their spouses are stationed overseas, all for free. ?EUR??,,????'??I?EUR??,,????'???m just giving back,?EUR??,,????'?? says Ralph, who cranked up his AMC Lawncare business seven years ago in Newport News, Va. This season, Ralph is taking care of yards for about 10 military families in southeastern Virginia as part of GreenCare for Troops.

Troops Get Help

Green Care for Troops is designed to provide lawn and landscape maintenance help for families of armed forces personnel whose spouse is serving in the Middle East. Eligible families can register with Project Evergreen to receive a year?EUR??,,????'???s free lawn and landscape care from local lawn and landscape contractors who are volunteering their services.

?EUR??,,????'??Many serving in the Middle East are from National Guard units, and so many spouses are left to manage the lawn care by themselves while trying to take care of their children and other responsibilities,?EUR??,,????'?? says Gardner. ?EUR??,,????'??We felt it could be a service we could provide to help out in a small way for families directly involved in the war on terror.?EUR??,,????'??

About 125 landscape and lawn contractors nationwide have signed up to take care of lawn-care needs for 1,100 families across the country, and more are registering every day, according to executive director Den Gardner.

Shelley Freeman of Hampton, Va., appreciates the free mowing she gets from Ralph?EUR??,,????'???s company. ?EUR??,,????'??I don?EUR??,,????'???t know what I would do without his help,?EUR??,,????'?? says Freeman, 41. ?EUR??,,????'??I can?EUR??,,????'???t imagine getting out myself and doing it.?EUR??,,????'?? Her husband, Staff Sgt. Timothy Freeman, 35, has been in Iraq since January. He is with the 654th Military Police division of the Army National Guard based in Emporia, and returns from overseas duty early next year.

Now, Ralph supervises nine employees operating three riding, two walk-behind and four push mowers, all doing 400 to 500 residential and 30 commercial accounts weekly. ?EUR??,,????'??People used to look at me as a lawn boy and now I?EUR??,,????'???m making more than a school principal,?EUR??,,????'?? Ralph declares. ?EUR??,,????'??Helping military families is just the right thing to do.?EUR??,,????'??

Ted Dietrich sprays for mosquitoes in the front yard of Kelly Lapine, where a yellow ribbon indicates the absence of Troy Lapine, currently serving in Iraq with the Army National Guard. Dietrich is a technician with Eradico Services, one of the businesses performing lawn services for families whose main breadwinner is serving in the Middle East.

Contractors interested in volunteering or in obtaining more information about GreenCare for Troops should access the Project EverGreen website or call toll-free at (877) 758-4835.

Sources: Knight Ridder Tribune News Service, Livingston Daily Press & Argus and www.projectevergreen.com.