Good news for homeowners in need of some free yardwork this spring – there’s still time to sign up for the third annual Oxford Gives Back (OGB) work weekend.

But they must act quickly because Friday, March 30 is the cutoff date.

The work weekend is scheduled for Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. The program is open to homeowners in Oxford, Addison and Orion townships.

OGB helps senior citizens (age 60 and older), disabled individuals, people suffering from major illnesses or undergoing taxing treatments such as chemotherapy, low-income folks and single parents.

Basically, anyone who is unable to do yardwork themselves and cannot afford to hire someone to do it for them is eligible for this free program.

Services include raking, mulching, weeding, trimming, clearing debris, bagging and burning yard waste, preparing gardens, planting flowers and other outdoor chores.

Last year, approximately 115 homes received free yardwork as part of OGB.

According to Madison Sparks, a member of the OGB team and a fourth-year Oxford Schools Early College student, 41 homeowners have registered so far, so there’s plenty of room for more.

“Most of them are in Oxford,” she said.

Right now, 26 homeowners in Oxford have signed up along with eight in Orion, six in Addison/Leonard and one in Brandon Township.

To Sparks, lending a helping hand to local seniors, particularly military veterans, is important because they are the “backbone of Oxford,” the people who helped build the community and served their country.

“They have the coolest stories and this means the world to them,” she said.

Homeowners interested in applying for assistance through Oxford Gives Back are asked to call Sparks at (248) 274-6316 or send an email to oxfordgivesback@gmail.com.

Volunteers are still needed.

“I would say we’re probably (at) around 100 right now,” Sparks said. “We’ve got a lot of sports teams from the high school that are committed to helping.”

Volunteers can register at www.signupgenius.com under “Oxford Gives Back 2018.” They can choose the house (or houses) at which they would like to work.

“The more, the merrier,” Sparks said.

She believes taking “three hours out of your day” to improve “somebody’s whole year” isn’t asking a lot.

“It’s the least we can do,” Sparks said.