From Mowers to Mentors: Greater Impact Scales Up

In the summer of 2014, a small crew of teenagers armed with a single push mower and a weed whacker set out to mow four lawns. It wasn’t much, but it was something real: a paycheck, a sense of responsibility, a way forward. Just like that, Greater Impact Lawn Care was formed. More than a decade later, thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation, Greater Impact has expanded into an operation with three fully outfitted crews servicing about 100 clients and 300 properties.

But that isn’t even the best part.

Besides the job skills and the resumé fodder – and even the paycheck — the team behind Greater Impact is most excited about the mentoring opportunities that their team leaders have with each and every employee in the program.

“Sometimes the most important part is the conversations in the truck on the way from one property to another,” said Seth Cook, Lawncare and Landscape Director. “We prioritize those conversations.”

That’s because Greater Impact is more than a job. It’s a chance to teach employees how to work hard, how to handle challenges, how to think entrepreneurially, and how to live with purpose and dignity.

And yes, the paycheck doesn’t hurt.

Greater Impact provides mowing, trimming, blowing, mulching and brush removal services for its clients — providing jobs for young people every year between March and November. And when they’re not on the worksite, participants might be in the classroom, deliberately learning behaviors and habits that will make them better employees now and in the future.

“We realized we have to teach employability,” said Cook.

That’s why the programs directors are highly trained and highly relational, helping to shape young people through on-the-job difficulties and the spontaneous lessons that come with them. The Community Foundation’s grant doesn’t just mean more equipment — it also means more opportunities for mentorship and growth.

But just because Greater Impact is a nonprofit that prioritizes mentorship doesn’t mean they’re skimping on the work. They’re maintaining 100 vacant yards as part of a seven-year partnership with South Bend VPA, and with a five-star rating across dozens of Google reviews, their clients seem to be very satisfied with their service.

“The young men at Greater Impact go above and beyond with their lawn service,” writes one customer. “My yard always looks great when they are done. It is a great help when I don’t have the time to do it and allows me to give back to the community. I think it’s amazing what Greater Impact is accomplishing in giving/pouring into the young people in the community.”

As for what’s next at Greater Impact?

“The more we grow, the more employees we can hire, and the more mentoring opportunities we can share,” says Cook.