Client News and Media Recognition

Laurinburg community immediately responds to need.

May 7, 2010 (LAURINBURG, NC) – When the Laurinburg Exchange, the local newspaper in Laurinburg, NC, posted a story recently about a small nonprofit lawn care crew desperately in need of new equipment, the calls started coming in almost immediately. One of those calls was from the North Carolina Farm Bureau in Laurinburg, who wanted to donate a new riding lawnmower.

Mobile Lawn Crew is part of Family Alternatives Services (FA), a program operated by RHA Howell, Inc., that helps people with developmental and behavioral disabilities find employment opportunities in order to maintain a positive lifestyle. The crew of four men plus a crew supervisor provides mowing, edging and other lawn care services to many churches and other grounds all over Scotland County.

In the article entitled “Nonprofit yard team faces rough patch,” reporter John Lentz pointed out that Mobile Lawn Crew was suffering from constant equipment breakdowns, especially with its riding lawnmower.

“We have this one riding mower that is old and works for about 30 minutes at a time before shutting down,” Frederick Stephens, a therapist with the Psychosocial Rehabilitation department of FA, told Lentz.  “As busy as this crew is, their equipment is no longer able to stand up to the kind of work that is required.”

The crew’s morale was suffering as a result, Stephens added.

Since the article appeared, Stephens says he has received “several calls from callers stating that they are interested in donating or helping to find ways to get others to donate.” One of those calls was from the NC Farm Bureau, a private, non-profit organization that has been promoting farm and rural issues since 1936 through governmental relations, agricultural education, and other programs. The Farm Bureau is headquartered in Raleigh, NC.

“I am super-excited about the results of the article that appeared in the

Laurinburg Exchange featuring the Mobile Lawn Crew and their commitment to providing a valuable service to the community and taking pride in their work,” said Stephens.

The crew will continue to repair the equipment it has, Stephens told the Exchange, “but we can only fix so much.” He’s hoping more equipment manufacturers and other concerned citizens will come forward to help. Anyone interested should contact FA at at 910-739-0440 or call Stephens at 910-736-3923.

Family Alternative Services, a division of RHA Howell, Inc., provides comprehensive mental health services to adults with mental health issues and behavioral disabilities in Scotland, Bladen, Columbus and Robeson counties.

For more information on RHA Howell, Inc., visit www.rhahowell.org.

The Laurinburg Exchange is available online at www.laurinburgexchange.com.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

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