Snow Angels, a pilot program, aims to provide snow-clearing support to Bozeman seniors and people with disabilities
EBS STAFF
Physically capable Bozeman residents can volunteer for the new Snow Angels program and be matched with another resident in need of sidewalk-shoveling support. When it snows, duty calls.
The pilot program is aimed at seniors and people with disabilities who do not have any other options for snow clearing, according to a press release from the City of Bozeman. Aside from helping keep sidewalks clear and safeguarding those individuals from being fined or facing costs of snow removal, officials also hope the program will also strengthen community bonds between neighbors.
“If you can shovel your sidewalk, we hope you’ll consider signing up as a snow angel and helping out a neighbor as well,” Nicholas Ross, Bozeman’s director of transportation and engineering, stated in the release. “Our long and snowy winters can be a stressful time for some neighbors and taking an extra 10 minutes to help someone out can mean the world to them.”
Residents in need as well as those interested in volunteering as shovelers can learn more and sign up online. Those unable to sign up online can email snowangels@bozeman.net or call 406-582-3200.
Bozeman’s Sidewalk Snow Removal Ordinance enforces that property owners, both commercial and residential, must remove snow from sidewalks within 24 hours of the end of snowfall. The ordinance ensures public safety and accessibility, the release explained.
Residents eligible for Snow Angels support must be at least 62 years old or have a physical disability, live within Bozeman city limits, and must have insufficient resources to help with snow removal, such as lack of financial means or nearby family and friends.
