The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and Project EverGreen announced that NALP has endorsed the nationally-recognized GreenCare for Troops (GCFT) program.
GreenCare for Troops, managed by Project EverGreen, a 501c3 non-profit, celebrating its 15th year in 2021, provides free basic lawn care and landscape maintenance services to military personnel with a deployed family member.
NALP’s endorsement expands the program to its 2,800 member companies, representing 200,000 landscape and lawn care professionals, and opens the door for more volunteers to provide services and bring healthy lawns and landscapes to military families in their time of need.
Since the program’s inception, more than 7,500 lawn and landscape professionals nationwide have provided free services such as mowing, shrub pruning, fertilization, weed control, fire ant services and other related services to deserving military families. To date, the value of the donated services exceeds $10 million.
“Our industry has a strong history of volunteer service and Project EverGreen, and GreenCare for Troops are great examples of the way that landscape and lawn care professionals make important contributions to their communities – one property at a time,” says Britt Wood, NALP CEO. “The focus on military families is a great compliment to the volunteer projects we do each year during Renewal and Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery.”
GCFT volunteers provide more than lawn care and landscape maintenance, they provide peace of mind during a stressful time; a safe place for kids to play and families to connect; and a cooler backyard to escape the heat of the summer.
“GCFT is the perfect community service initiative for the lawn and landscape industry and one that the entire industry can get behind,” says Cindy Code, Project EverGreen’s executive director. “The GCFT program represents all the good benefits that the professional lawn and landscape industry offers in their communities.”
Landscape and lawn care professionals can register to volunteer or nominate a family to receive services by visiting www.projectevergreen.org or calling 888/611-2955. Also, GCFT’s sister program, SnowCare for Troops, provides free snow removal services in the winter for eligible military families.
When volunteers register for one or both programs, they can choose the number of families they are willing to help, how far they will travel to perform the service and specify what services they will provide.
