Cranberry Community Park trees are ablaze with autumn colors. Eagle file photo.

Cranberry residents willing and able to rake some leaves can help out a neighbor in need through the township’s Leaf Angels program.

The program, running for the second time this year, is organized through Cranberry Township Public Works. It matches local volunteers with families living in the township who need help clearing leaves from their yards.

Volunteers can sign up via an online form on the Cranberry Township website until Nov. 1. After that, residents can submit a “request for need” form to sign up to be matched with Leaf Angel volunteers. The program runs from Nov. 1 until the end of yard waste collection.

The Leaf Angel program grew out of the larger Snow Angel program, a similar volunteer effort that runs throughout the snowy winter months and assigns volunteers to homes that need help with snow removal.

“In some cases, it’s the same families that need help with the snow removal, but it can be other people who need help with leaves,” public works director Kelly Maurer said. “It’s just a great way to pair people up, those who are willing to help (with) those who need help. It’s an added service the township offers.”

The program grew out of efforts to help seniors and other residents in need during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, she added.

“We had a care team during the pandemic for people who needed help with grocery shopping,” she said. “These programs have kind of spawned off of that, as other ways we can help and pair volunteers at specific times of year with people who need help.”

More than 40 people signed up for assistance through the Leaf Angel program in 2021, Maurer said. Snow Angel last year helped more than 100 families, and had to close sign-ups at one point due to a lack of volunteers.

“You can’t sign up for the (Leaf Angel) program until Nov. 1,” she said. “We do the volunteers first to make sure we don’t take on 50 people who need help and then only have 10 volunteers. We kind of learned last year with the Snow Angels, we don’t want to take on more than we can manage, so we take on the volunteers first and start matching them based on availability.”

Leaf Angel volunteers can be anyone 15 years or older, or younger if accompanied by an adult. They must bring their own rakes and gloves, but will receive five biodegradable leaf bags to use in clearing the yard. Volunteers are encouraged to work in teams, Maurer said.

“This is a good program that can take groups of volunteers,” she explained. “Usually when you’re shoveling snow, it’s just one person, but this is perfect for scouting groups, church groups and children looking for volunteer hours through the school. A whole Girl Scout group could come and do someone's yard.”