While Thanksgiving can often be a time of extra eating, spending time with family, catching up with classmates and more, in Nutley, for a lot of people, the time around Thanksgiving was spent doing something extremely different. And it’s all been happening the weekend after Thanksgiving for nearly two decades.
More than 70 volunteers spent the holiday weekend cleaning and bagging leaves at over 40 homes belonging to senior and disabled residents as the Township of Nutley’s Department of Public Works’ RAKES (Random Acts of Kindness Extended to Seniors) program marked its 17th season. The initiative once again paired local volunteers with eligible residents to provide free leaf-raking assistance at their properties.
The program serves residents aged 60 and older, as well as individuals with disabilities, who own and occupy homes in need of service and are unable to afford paid help. RAKES encourages participation from businesses, churches, civic groups, schools, neighborhood organizations and high school students, who may apply their volunteer hours toward community service requirements for college.
“I would like to thank the many volunteers who donated their time and efforts,” Department of Public Works Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli said. “The Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops, the International Club, the Nutley High School football team and athletic programs, along with a number of other students and civic groups, all helped make this one of our most successful years. A special thank you to Mr. Piro and Coach Helm for their assistance in making the program a success.”
RAKES was first conceived during NHS Student Government Day, when a student proposed a community leaf-raking effort. Since then, it has grown into an annual tradition, supported by scout troops, athletic teams and numerous community organizations.
“Our citizens, along with the town’s many civic and service organizations, continue to make a difference in our community,” Scarpelli said. “It is this volunteer spirit that makes Nutley a unique and special place to live and work.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.