A small gesture can go a long way, and sometimes a helping hand can be fun at the same time.

That’s the message Doug Rodwell is trying to send out to the community this winter.

The Jasper by-law services manager is asking for volunteers again to help members of the community who aren’t able to shovel their sidewalks and driveways this winter.

There are many people in the community who are disabled or elderly who don’t have family nearby to give a helping hand when the snow flies, Rodwell says, and the time spent only takes a few minutes and is something the whole family can do or even just a couple of friends.

He says the program, which has been running for about five years now, isn’t just for someone who is going away on holidays for a month. “It’s for the people who just really have difficulty, somebody who has knee surgery, or someone who just can’t do it,” he says.

In previous years, Rodwell has sent a notice out to the municipality’s employees, but this year he thought it could be a good community effort.

“We try and set them (the volunteers) up with one person so they get that community connection. Some years we have quite a few people who request help, but last year I think we probably only had six. For the amount of snow we had last year, there wasn’t really much of a commitment from the volunteers,” Rodwell says. “It doesn’t take a lot of your time. When it snows, you go down and take care of it.”

Residents who want someone to shovel their driveway are responsible for providing shovels and sand or salt, can contact Rodwell, as well as people who want to volunteer, by phoning 780-852-3014 ext. 22, or emailing him at drodwell@town.jasper.ab.ca.

“It’s a nice way for people who have maybe just come to the community to connect with somebody else in the community,” says Rodwell. “It makes them feel like they are doing something important, and it is.”