A Lake Orion landscape business, Joe’s Lawn Care, is changing the landscape of community service one lawn at a time.

Owner Joe Highlen and his brother Charlie Highlen, both of Lake Orion, recently provided free lawn makeovers to three people who needed the help, including two Oxford residents.

Joe’s Lawn Care LLC is a private landscaping business owned by Joe Highlen. The business is operated solely by Joe and Charlie.

“We wanted to give back. I’ve had a lot of setbacks in my life where things weren’t going well and now that I have a business going… I wanted to give back to the community,” said Joe Highlen.

The brothers asked the public for suggestions on who should receive the free services through a group on Facebook called “Lake Orion and Oxford Yardsale” in early August.

Applicants could submit stories of their own struggles for consideration or nominate others. The posts which garnered the highest number of Facebook “likes” determined the recipients.

Dave Bailey, who lives at 11 1st Street in Oxford, was one of those voted to receive the free landscaping services.

According to Bailey, he couldn’t believe his luck when he was told of his nomination.

After the post suggesting Bailey on the page garnered 32 “likes,” Bailey was selected as one of the three winners. “I got a call from a friend of mine that said, “Dave, you’ve won!” and I was about to slam down the phone thinking that it was one of those (telemarketing calls) that say you have a free cruise to the Bahamas… until I realized their voice sounded familiar,” Bailey said with a laugh.

A few days later, Highlen and his brother donated their labor and were able to clear the entrance to Bailey’s home and beautify his lawn in four hours.

Highlen estimated the job typically would have cost around $1,000.

“That was very nice of him to come by and do that. It doesn’t look overgrown anymore,” Bailey said.

The brothers also removed several thickets of shrubs called Autumn-Olives from his lawn. The plant is not native to Michigan and is widely considered an invasive weed. The shrubs often have large thorns and displace native plants.

“Autumn-Olive plants are not something you want your kids running around. It’s nasty stuff,” said Bailey.

Brandy Lynn, of Oxford, was the second person selected to receive landscaping assistance.

With 30 “likes,” Chelsea Loerh, of Lake Orion, was the third person selected. She nominated her mother who has undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer to receive the services.