Rake-Up Boise is an annual, one-day fall event, coordinated by Neighborhood Housing Services of Boise (NHS), where volunteers rake and winterize yards of seniors or persons with disabilities. On average, 4,500 volunteers fill 17,000 leaf bags and clean up 1,250 yards each year.

NHS of Boise was incorporated in 1982 and serves the city of Boise, Ada County and, starting in 2000, the state of Idaho. NHS of Boise is a NeighborWorks Full-Cycle Lender and provides pre- and postpurchase counseling, affordable financing and house rehabilitation.
 
NHS founded Rake-Up Boise in 1986, after the Ada County Highway Department was no longer able to collect fallen leaves, creating an otherwise-unmet need among elderly and disabled resident. Due to such a visible need, NHS decided to organize a program to help these households with autumn winterization projects.

Sponsors.  One sponsor was identified at the outset: KBOI-AM, a Boise news-talk radio station. Over the years, NHS has recruited additional sponsors and cultivated other partnerships, including the city of Boise, the Boise operator for Browning Ferris Industries (BFI), a national waste-management company, and several others.

Outreach.  Each year, NHS sends invitations to raking teams from former years. The invitation asks for the number of people volunteering and the desired number of yard projects. NHS also sends invitations to seniors and disabled individuals that previously received the service.
 
A media-advertising campaign, including public-service announcements in the newspaper and on local television and radio stations, is aimed at recruiting additional volunteers and recipients,. Interested persons are instructed to call NHS to become a volunteer or recipient.

Program Requirements.  The only requirement for becoming a Rake-Up Boise recipient is to be a senior citizen and/or disabled individual. There are no income or neighborhood requirements.

Teams.  Teams are made up of community residents, school groups, local businesses, church groups, scout troops, and professional and government agencies. Volunteers of all ages participate. Parents especially enjoy involving their children and introducing them to community-service activities.

Project Organization.  Once recipients and volunteers are identified, NHS organizes raking teams. Each is assigned a specific number of yards and leaf bags. The coordinator tries to place volunteers close to where they live. Many teams request the same yard or neighborhood each year.
 
Once teams and recipients are coordinated, an assignment is mailed to each participant. Simultaneously, NHS also writes the recipients and lets them know which volunteers will be working on their yard. Teams usually try to visit the house before-hand, to ask the owner if there are any projects other than leaf raking that need to be done.

The Event.  Rake-Up Boise takes place on a Saturday in November and is a one-day event. The city delivers 16,000-18,000 paper leaf bags to Hillside Nursery, a local business, which then distributes the assigned bags to each raking team. Each team is responsible for bringing its own rakes, gloves, trimmers, and other necessary yard tools.
 
Projects are usually completed on the assigned Saturday, but volunteers are allowed up to two weeks to finish. Typically, if it is raining or the weather is bad, teams will pick another day in the two-week period to carry out the project.
 
For each yard, volunteers rake leaves, pull weeds or trim branches and put the debris in the bags provided by the city. Bags are then placed at the side of the street so BFI can collect and deliver them to the community compost pile. The mulch that is eventually created from the leaves and branches is then used for city parks and curbside gardens.

Partner Responsibilities.  NHS is responsible for securing sponsors and recruiting, and coordinating volunteers with yard projects. The city of Boise provides the bags and BFI collects them and delivers them to a composting area. At the program’s inception, the city and BFI identified a section of land to use for composting.

Project Costs and Raising Funds.  The main program costs are clerical, such as copying, postage and staff time. Each year, NHS strives to raise enough money from sponsors to cover the costs. NHS also seeks donated services, such as printing and media advertisements. In addition to sponsorships and in-kind donations, Rake Up Boise sweatshirts are printed for volunteers to purchase. Many teams buy sweatshirts to wear as they work, creating another good source of revenue.

• Rake-Up Boise has been in existence since 1986 and continues to grow each year. Very little media is required for the program, since it is so well known in the community.
   
• This program is very popular. Most raking teams return year after year to participate.
   
• On average, 4,500 volunteers fill 17,000 leaf bags and clean up 1,250 yards each year. The total number of volunteers from 1996 through 1999 was 54,750. During that time, 6,670 yards were raked and 130,000 leaf bags filled.
   
• Only rarely are there problems. Occasionally a house may be missed by mistake. Volunteers, as a rule, are enthusiastic, very independent, and rarely fail to meet their responsibilities.

• The most difficult part of Rake-Up Boise for NHS is the time-crunch that occurs in organizing and scheduling teams and completing clerical details. Coordinating teams with yard projects is difficult, and relaying assignments to each team is time consuming. An organization should anticipate a substantial time requirement for at least a month prior to the project date. Otherwise, this program is very easy for NHS, since volunteers are so autonomous and enthusiastic.
   
• Distributing leaf bags takes place at Hillside Nursery because of its ability to accommodate a high volume of pedestrian traffic. Select a bag pick-up location that can handle large amounts of people, and make sure someone is available to issue bags as teams come in.
   
• Form teams of at least 10 volunteers. Since the coordinator cannot know how difficult each yard project may be, 10-volunteer teams ensure enough people will be available to complete each project. It also minimizes problems from volunteers suddenly being unable to attend, due to emergencies or illnesses.
   
• Recruiting several small sponsors works well for this type of program. NHS has one large sponsor that donates $2,500, but the remaining sponsors contribute between $250 and $1,000 each. It is important to approach each business individually and not restrict the amount they contribute. It also is important to determine the financial needs of the program, and to solicit appropriate amounts of donated goods, services and funds.

Agency interview with: Pam Wren