Be an angel. Help a local senior.
Be an angel. Help a local senior.
Give the gift of mobility to a community member in need by shoveling snow in the driveways and walkways of their homes this winter. While snow in the driveway is not a fun sight for anyone, for some, it can mean missing out on important medical appointments, not being able to get groceries or seeing loved ones.
By joining this program, you will be providing someone the ability to continue living their life uninterrupted.
Who can volunteer?
Anyone can volunteer. Our volunteers are made up of students, community members, businesses and non-profit organizations. We have partnered with Wood Buffalo Volunteers for this program. Click on the button below to sign-up!
What to expect
The program expects that the Snow Angel will shovel the driveway within 48 hours of a snow fall, which aligns with Municipal by-laws. However, we do encourage every Snow Angel to shovel as soon as possible after a snowfall to ensure residents have access to and from their homes.
Should you not be able to complete the volunteer commitment, we ask that you let the Social Program Advisor know so that a replacement volunteer can be assigned to the home.
Shovels and ice scrapers will be given to each senior resident that registers for the program.
Volunteer as an individual, join as a team or join an existing team!
To suit your schedule, we’ve created multiple ways to volunteer. Once you’ve signed up to volunteer, please let the program advisor know of your preference.
Volunteer as an individual: This option is perfect if you have a set or a flexible schedule with the ability to commit to a home for the winter. If you’re already volunteering as an individual and find this suitable, please continue to volunteer in this manner.
Sign up as a team: This option is perfect for you if you want to help community members, but your schedule makes it difficult. When you sign up as a team, your team will be assigned a house for the winter. This way, team members can share the workload and ensure that a volunteer is available when needed. Please ensure all members of your team register to volunteer for the program.
Join an existing team: This option is perfect for you if you want to join as a team but can’t find people to join you.
Program history
The program began as a partnership with the municipality and the Fort McMurray Public School District in 2009. It was a pilot project in the downtown core, initially using students from Dr. K. A. Clark and Fort McMurray Composite High School.
The program has since expanded to include the whole urban service area of Fort McMurray, with students, community members, businesses and organizations volunteering to shovel the walkways and driveways to support older adults and residents with the highest needs and the highest risk of isolation during winter season.