The sound of leaves crunched under rakes and the smell of freshly cut grass filled the air as Coppell residents Tom Massimi, Douglass Buol and Ishaan Sharma cleaned out the flower beds of a home.
The fifth annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors program at Coppell kickstarted at 8 a.m. on Saturday when more than 250 volunteers arrived at Coppell Town Center. The one-day event consisted of more than 50 projects to help Coppell residents in need of home maintenance and repairs.
One of the volunteers in attendance was Texas State Representative Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, who appreciated the chance to participate in the program for the first time.
“No matter what community you’re in, there are always people who need assistance, whether they’re elderly, have health issues, or can’t afford to take care of certain things for themselves,” Hernandez said. “It gives people the opportunity to be able to spend the day doing some of those projects.”
Mayor Wes Mays recalls how these projects helped residents in need of assistance.
“I remember working on a fence for six hours and the pile of trash that we had created from removing the old fence and gate was about four feet tall and it was just amazing the amount of work that we put in on that project,” Mays said. “The feedback that I hear from our residents has been very appreciative of all the help that we’ve provided.”
Sharma, a Coppell High School sophomore, assisted in yard work alongside Massimi and Buol. His first time after turning 15, Sharma conveys how volunteering has helped him.
”I don’t like to interact a lot, but it feels nice after you help someone out,” Sharma said. “It just also makes my day better.”
Massimi and Buol also share their sentiments on the project after volunteering for all five years since the program’s start.
“You bump into them at a grocery store and a gas station and things like that, and it’s nice to know that we’re working together,” Massimi said. “Everybody’s got a common purpose. You’re here to help people.”
Follow CHSCampusNews on X.
