Some people don’t like raking leaves, but personally—I enjoy it. It reminds me of childhood, when your parents would laboriously gather up a huge pile, then you’d come along and jump gleefully into the center of the multicolored leaves. It’s one of those simple pleasures in life.

You can get a grownup version of that blissful feeling during the 10th annual Rake Up, Colorado! event. On November 10, volunteers will serve 250 limited-income seniors in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties. The yearly event is held by the Volunteers of America Safety of Seniors Handyman Program, a group of volunteers who perform small home repairs and maintenance for seniors in the community. Many elderly people live with family or in group homes; the goal of the program is to offer seniors more independence by allowing them to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Something as simple as raking leaves can be a big deal for many seniors.

Get Involved: To volunteer as an individual, family, or group, contact Amelia Sidinger at asidinger@voacolorado.org or 303-297-0408. Applications are due by October 29, and children of all ages are welcome (I foresee lots of pile jumping).

—Image courtesy of Shutterstock