“Once day I saw an elderly man cutting grass and something just hit me. God was talking to me (saying)⏤‘Do something about it.’”
It was that one split decision when Rodney Smith Jr. pulled his car to the side of the road to offer Mr. Brown a helping hand to finish cutting his lawn⏤that would change his life forever.
Mr. Brown became the inspiration for Rodney to help more people.
He set an initial goal to cut forty lawns for free. It was his way of giving back to folks who needed the help, but didn’t have the money to pay for lawn services. The elderly, the disabled, single moms and veterans would be the recipient of Rodney’s generosity.
“When I first started, I just had my car and my lawn mower, that’s all I had,” explains Rodney Smith Jr., “I was cutting lawns between classes. I was a college student, and just graduated recently with a bachelor’s in computer science. All this got me wanting to go back for my master’s in social work because I believe I found my purpose in life, and that’s helping people.”
The purpose that Rodney points out has now turned into a movement of giving back; caring for those in need; looking out for a fellow neighbor; and teaching the upcoming generation skills, generosity and an appreciation for thy fellow man.
After two months of cutting lawns for free, Rodney had reached 100 lawns and decided it was time to put the movement into overdrive.
The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast…
The Next Leap Forward
Hundreds of kids have joined the program throughout the country, but it doesn’t stop there⏤kids from five other countries have accepted the challenge of cutting lawns for free. Raising Men Lawn Care Service became the union of an ordinary yard maintenance service and the commitment to establish an inspiring program to keep our youth (girls & boys) on a positive path while learning and understanding their value in society, as explained on their website.
One of the methods Rodney has used to incentivize the kids to ‘work harder’ is through the T-Shirt System. When a young man or woman join the program, they start off with a white shirt. Thereafter, for every ten lawns they cut, they get a new color shirt, so ten get them an orange shirt; twenty a green shirt; thirty a blue shirt; forty a red shirt; and finally FIFTY LAWNS earn them a black shirt. It’s called the 50 Yard Challenge.
I encourage you to take the 50 Minute Challenge. Take 50 minutes out of your day, step back and think about your own legacy. What is the lasting impression you wish to leave on the world? How can you make a difference in 50 lives? Think about it.
Brink Notes:
Website: http://weareraisingmen.com/
DONATE to the movement: http://weareraisingmen.com/donation/
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamrodneysmith
