The Snowcrew.org Yeti who shoveled out 21 neighbors in need

Meet James Knauer, Boston's Snowcrew.org Super Yeti! James became a Yeti on January 29th, 2015 and since has shoveled out 21 neighbors in need around Boston.

This past week, while, on his vacation, James shoveled out a pregnant woman. When he arrived at her house, there was so much snow that he could not tell if he had found the right massive mound of snow to dig out. After shoveling for a good amount of time, James realized it was, in fact, the wrong mound of snow. Others might have given up, but not James. He then started digging out the next mound and did not stop shoveling until the car was completely dug out. See the pictures attached.

When I asked James what drove him to shovel out as many people as he has, he responded by saying: "Being relatively new to Boston, I want to grow a closer knit community. I hope that by shoveling out as many people as I have, it will inspire others to do the same and bring us all closer together. Also, I don't want anyone to be left out; my family was once the same position of needing help. I want to make sure others feel comfortable and are safe during their time of need."

Shoveling out neighbors in need makes a real difference. When shoveled out, people can get to the store, to the pharmacy, to doctor's appointments and to work. They can also receive oil deliveries and can receive important health care services at home.

Thanks to James and the 3,700 + Yeti volunteers across the eastern United States, a lot more people are getting the shoveling assistance they need, which helps them remain healthy, safe, and warm.

We are our neighbor's keepers, and Boston is lucky to have James and the other volunteer Yetis who lend a hand when it snows.

If you'd like to sign-up to help shovel or need assistance shoveling, you can create a free profile on SnowCrew.org. I also encourage you to join Nextdoor.com, the free and private social network for the neighborhood, to let your neighbors know you are willing to help shovel or that you could use a helping hand. (Disclosure - I work for Nextdoor).

@JosephPorcelli