With a possible second major snowstorm in the offing for the coming weekend, Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) is reminding area residents to reach out to neighbors who might need help, whether with stocking groceries, picking up an important prescription or shoveling snow, or who just might benefit from the sound of a friendly voice.

“We have already had one major snowstorm and a second one is threatening,” said Assemblyman Colton. “We all need to hunker down to ride the storm out, but if you are physically able, it’s important to go the extra mile and check in on neighbors who may not be able to fend for themselves, whether they are elderly or infirm. With the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often forget that others may not be able to cope with the weather as easily as we can. Ringing their doorbell or giving them a phone call provides more than a friendly voice or a smile. It effectively offers them a lifeline in what may be a significant time of need.”

In many parts of Brooklyn, able-bodied individuals are banding together to help seniors and people who are unwell with shoveling snow, and Assemblyman Colton is trying to build a database of volunteers in Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights who would be willing to help out those who can’t shovel for themselves and may not be able to afford to hire someone to do it for them. That said, the project is in a very early phase, so if you are interested in volunteering to shovel for those who can’t, please reach out to Assemblyman Colton at williamc8@verizon.net.

“Kindness is crucial to community, and we have always been a community that has made a point of being neighborly,” said Assemblyman Colton. “We are hoping that enough people volunteer that whoever needs help can get it, but we are not at that point yet. So, please, if you can lend a hand, we would love to hear from you.”