Though some may not mind our recent weather, there are others who are anxiously awaiting snow. Snowmobilers want to snowmobile, skiers want to ski, plenty of kids want to build a snowman, and five Two Harbors High School seniors want to start shoveling.
Emma Churness, Teddy Hendrickson, Rebel Krech, Tucker Bright, and Chase Anderson, had been thinking of a way to earn money and help the community. Recognizing the struggle that older residents can face during snowfall, the group decided they could put their muscles to good use.
“We realized there are not shovelers in this town, like there used to be. We were made aware of a lot of older people who need help with their yards,” Emma said of the origin of their business. “There are a lot of older people in town that have adults with full-time jobs doing their yards for them and they definitely don’t have the time for that. We just want to take some of that off people’s hands.”
When they announced their business, Two Harbors Shoveling, on Facebook, they started to get responses immediately. Within a week, the post offering services had 94 shares and 21 comments. They’ve gotten a lot of phone calls, one of which was during class. Some potential customers have asked about help before the snow arrives, such as yard work and prep.
With an eye on their impending college journeys and the financial demands that come with it, the seniors aim to not only assist the community but also possibly pad their college funds. Emma has applied to UMD, with an interest in psychology and criminology. Teddy plans on going to LSC for business, and Chase has applied to UMD and LSC. He’d like to go into law enforcement. Rebel has been talking to a recruiter about joining the Marines.
Prices will depend on the size of the job, with a minimum of $20. Most houses in town that have a sidewalk and porch would likely cost about that much. They are planning on sticking to Two Harbors and outside its city limits. Additional charges may be added depending on the distance. Their Facebook page also states they are willing to negotiate as well.
“We just want to help out,” Emma said. “We wanted to make sure we weren’t charging too much because there are also a lot of people who can’t afford shoveling services.”
The crew is armed with shovels and Rebel drives a truck in case any of their other vehicles get stuck in the snow. When I asked if they all had strong backs, Emma gave my favorite interview answer to date. “We’re all country kids!” she laughed, and I could hear the rest laugh along with her over the phone. “We’ve all been shoveling our whole lives. We’re pretty used to it. We’re pretty tough.”
So, when it snows, because it will, Two Harbors Shoveling encourages you to reach out to them via their Facebook page. You may also email th.shoveling@gmail.com or call 218-830-9397 (just not during school hours!).
