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Group finds help for military family in Janesville

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Ben Brindley of the Weedman lawn service in Machesney Park, Il sprays the west-side yard of the Beyer family on 10-07-09. Weedman was there as part of their participation in a national program called GreenCare for military families.

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Cheryl L. Beyer

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Andrew J. Kurth

JANESVILLE — Today, Cheryl Beyer can check several big projects off her to-do list.

That means a lot when you’re trying to be mom and dad at the same time, Beyer said.

On Wednesday, lawn care professionals started work at Beyer’s Janesville home. A group from around southern Wisconsin planned to provide fall lawn fertilizing, cutting down a dead 30-foot pine tree, trimming a few trees, improving some landscape rock and planting some shrubs.

It’s work that has been piling up while Beyer’s husband has been stationed in Iraq with the Wisconsin National Guard 32nd Military Police Company out of Oconomowoc. He’s been there since February and won’t likely be home until January or later, Beyer said.

“I like to do things on my own, and I tried,” Beyer said. “Now I know how much he’s done around the yard that I didn’t know about.”

The work was organized by GreenCare for Troops. The organization connects lawn care professionals with the families of military personnel stationed overseas. Businesses and individuals may donate time and materials to families.

Beyer didn’t realize how hard it would be to keep up with the yard work, she said. It’s her husband’s first tour in Iraq, said Beyer, who asked that her husband’s name not be used. She quit her day job in order to spend more time with her kids, ages 15, 12 and 9.

And while it’s nice to have her kids help around the house, Beyer has been trying to follow the advice of other military families and make sure she finds time to let her kids do kid stuff.

“It’s hard enough that their dad is away,” Beyer said. “If they’re all home and doing what you want them to do, it can make it even harder for them. They should stay busy with school and sports.”

Beyer read about GreenCare for Troops in a magazine for military families. She is extremely grateful for the service and hopes to encourage other families to apply for the assistance.

Andy Kurth was happy to be able to help. He is the general manager and one of the owners of the Middleton franchise of Weed Man, a lawn care company.

Kurth has donated work to help out other military families in the greater Madison area, he said. He recommends this kind of volunteer work to any kind of service provider.

“If everybody could do a couple things for a couple of families, it goes a long way,” Kurth said.