Neighbors Pitch In To Clear Snow

Gan Matthews, News 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- Getting your driveway and walkway free of snow is a challenge for all of us, but especially so for Oklahoma's seniors.

Seniors who are shut in because of the snow don't really have an agency to call to get their driveways and walkways clear, so many people rely upon a network of friends, neighbors, relatives and church associations to get the job done.

Buz St. John in Norman relies upon a neighborhood boy, 15-year-old John Williams.

"It's a lifesaver," said St. John. "The wife and I are both in pretty bad health, and it's just not any way we can get out here and shovel all this off here."

Williams made $200 snow-shoveling at several houses on Wednesday, and he's made more Thursday. Williams said he has a plan for how he wants to spend his earnings.

"I'm going to buy a new guitar," Williams said.

Williams said he doesn't always charge for his services. Sometimes he shovels the snow for free if a homeowner can't afford to pay.

In another Norman neighborhood, a woman who gave her name only as Chris, was shoveling the snow off her driveway all by herself, but she said a neighbor helped clear her porch and walkway earlier for free.

"In this neighborhood, there are a few of us who are very good neighbors," she said. "And we do help each other."