The Town of Tecumseh is turning over responsibility for its Snow Angels program as it deals with issues around volunteer recruitment and retention. During its July 28 meeting, town council voted to turn over responsibility to the Community Support Centre of Essex County (CSC). The group had expressed interest in taking over responsibility for the program in Tecumseh after town administration explored options to keep it going long-term while reducing the staff burden in running it. The CSC already operates successful Snow Angels programs in Essex and Lakeshore using established systems. The Snow Angels Program is a voluntary snow removal service for senior citizens and persons with physical disabilities. The program attempts to match volunteers from the community with residents in their neighbourhoods requiring assistance. Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara says he’s thankful for all the volunteers they did have over the years. “Many of those Snow Angels now need Snow Angels. There’s an opportunity with the Community Support Group that is managing other areas within the region, so we’re going to be bringing them on board,” he says. McNamara says he’s happy the program will keep going. “There are a lot of seniors in our community, 35 per cent of our population, and many of them need snow angels and help during the winter months. Here’s a great opportunity to partner with an incredible organization that does a lot of work for us in our community,” he says. The report to council says that CSC intends to establish fresh client and volunteer registrations, including police clearances for volunteers, in accordance with their organizational policies.
