Parishioners from various Catholic churches combined in teams. There were people from St. Joseph’s, St. Matthew’s and St. Elizabeth’s who wanted to mow because there was a need and they could help.

Gail Sladek, right, center, from St. Elizabeth’s in Hiawatha, coordinated more than a dozen volunteers to get them out in the field.

Although most didn’t know those from other churches, it didn’t seem to matter as they worked.

“It’s going to take a little prep before we get the mowers going,” said Kathy Hilton.

Steve Determan agreed: “We might need a chainsaw.”

Kathy Hilton, her husband Greg Hilton, JoAnn Determan and her husband Steve Determan, and John Kayser ended up as a team with four southwest Cedar Rapids yards to mow. (See pictures below)

By 10:30 a.m., they had done two assigned homes and “one next door, a freebie because it needed it,” JoAnn Determan explained.

At the time, she was on her knees near the front porch of the third house on their list.

“It’s hard work,” she said.

John Kayser mowed one side of the house, then began trimming weeds. On the other side of the house, the other men mowed hip-high grass as Kathy Hilton took a weed whacker to the worst of the tall weeds.

“The trash is probably worse than I thought. Otherwise, it’s about what I expected,” said Greg Hilton.