‘Serve Detroit’ Snow Team Offering Help To Detroiters In Need

As winter grips Detroit each year, a unique community effort is helping keep sidewalks clear and neighbors connected. The Serve Detroit Snow Team is a volunteer-driven initiative organized through the City of Detroit’s Serve Detroit program.

Designed to support Detroit’s most vulnerable residents, the Snow Team pairs volunteers with seniors and people with disabilities who may struggle to clear snow from their walkways and driveways after major snowfalls. Volunteers help remove snow from front sidewalks and driveways, making streets safer and more accessible for pedestrians.

This has been one of the coldest and snowiest winters we've had in Metro-Detroit in a while, making the need for volunteers even greater. Participants must generally provide their own transportation, though tools like shovels and snow removal equipment are often available from the city’s Department of Neighborhoods upon request. Volunteers are encouraged to register ahead of snowstorms and typically should be between the ages of 13 and 60.

The program has drawn praise from residents who have received help. In some coverage, seniors expressed heartfelt gratitude as volunteers cleared icy paths, reflecting what community leaders describe as the “Spirit of Detroit” in action.

Beyond snow removal, Serve Detroit promotes broader volunteer opportunities, including neighborhood clean-ups and youth engagement, all to build stronger, more resilient communities.

To join or learn more about the Snow Team, interested volunteers can sign up here through the Serve Detroit portal or contact the city’s volunteer coordinators.