Vines twisted and writhed among the dry leaves that were piled high in the Hicks’ lot off North Gordon Street. An old, rotten shed leaned to the side. Ferns were waist-high.
The jungle of the back yard was out of control — and too daunting a task for elderly siblings Harriet, Robert and William Hicks. They didn’t know what to do about the overgrowth, until their neighbor Jerry Vinnedge, approached his church, WellSpring of Central Florida, about the problem.
The small congregation of about 25 loved the idea of helping the family. On April 12, six members spent almost four hours cleaning up the Hicks’ back yard.
“I think it was great,” Harriet Hicks said. “Those young-uns came out there and came all the way from Winter Haven.”
The volunteers took care to work around the family’s pet cemetery that holds all their beloved former dogs. They manicured the memorial, before taking down the wooden shed and ripped up its foundation.
They also cleared out all the brush in the yard, piling trash bag after trash bag on the sidewalk. All the while, and much to their relief, they only saw one snake.
“The congregation did such a good job,” Associate Pastor Jason Deshazo said. “It was an honor for us to do it. They are a sweet family. It was for the glory of God.”
Now that the yard is cleared, Harriet Hicks, 70, said she can take care of the mowing herself. The home belongs to her adopted twin brothers, Robert and William, 74. They are on a fixed income and couldn’t pay for the labor. But, they did supply the trash bags and other materials to the church.
“We all stay here and take care of each other,” Harriet Hicks said. “I am happy with it.”
The house itself also needs a lot of work, including pressure washing, painting, and screen and door replacements. WellSpring members said they would be happy to help again in the future.
“If someone donated materials, we would provide the work,” Deshazo said. “It was an honor to be able to work in the community and be there.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.