SERV Allentown is gearing-up to help senior citizens this winter with a snow shoveling program. Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski and representatives of SERV Allentown and the Lehigh County Senior Center announced the program, entitled “Snow Way Out,” at a news conference at the senior center.

SERV Allentown is part of AARP Pennsylvania’s “Create The Good” program. It encompasses support of Cities of Service, a national bi-partisan coalition of mayors of cities of all sizes working together to engage citizens in helping to solve pressing local challenges.

A 40 member task force met during a period of three months in 2011 to discuss priority needs areas that could be served by volunteers. Those needs were identified under the categories of education, community / neighborhood development, and youth development.

“The program will connect volunteers with qualifying senior citizens who can’t do the job themselves,” said Pawlowski. “SERV Allentown, the senior center and our neighborhood groups are collaborating on the effort.”

Senior citizens that own homes in Allentown will be able to find an application for the “Snow Way Out” program on the city website under the SERV Allentown Logo, or may pick-up an application at the senior center. All applicants for snow removal services must deliver their application to the Lehigh Senior Center, located at 1633 W. Elm Street, in Allentown.

Once a senior qualifies for the program, their application is kept by the Senior Center and forwarded to a neighborhood group president.

Youth also will be able to apply for the program to serve as volunteers by visiting the same SERV Allentown Logo link on the city website. All volunteer applicants must deliver their applications to the volunteer chief service officer, Joshua Keller located in City Hall, 435 Hamilton Street, Allentown. Volunteer applicants then go through an approval process which includes a background check. The volunteer chief service officer collects approved applications and forwards them to the neighborhood group president.

Snow removal kicks-in when 3 or more inches of snow have fallen in the city. At that point applicants who have qualified for the program call their neighborhood group location and can request snow removal services. A volunteer is then dispatched to perform snow removal. All volunteers will be wearing an identification card.

Special thanks is given to Morris Pagnani Outing for donating the first five shovels to the program. Any organizations wishing to donate shovels can direct their call to 610 437-7743