PHOENIX — Two Glendale police sergeants noticed a local Marine veteran’s home was in desperate need of cleaning and repair.
To make it happen, volunteers from across the Valley turned out.
To put it mildly, Katheryn Baarson, a 67-year-old disabled veteran, needed a helping hand. Pests, trash and general mess overwhelmed her Glendale home.
But there was no shortage of help from multiple organizations, including Operation Enduring Gratitude and the Boy Scouts. Collectively, they went above and beyond the call of duty.
"What I asked for was to clean up the backyard, the gates, and the fence to be fixed," Baarson said. "And they did like 100 times more."
An artificial grass walk-up, rocked front yard and a new paint job are some of the upgrades in progress.
Boy Scout Vance Cuthbertson is a driving force behind the work. It’s his Eagle Scout project.
“It takes a lot to serve our country, takes a lot to be in the military," he said. "So when I have a chance to repay them for that by serving them, it’s really a great honor."
Baarson served as an active-duty Marine through much of the seventies before entering the reserves. She modestly shared a photo of herself in uniform, holding it out to the camera.
“Oh, it’s overwhelming trying to get someone to cut the grass and everything. I used to do it all. I got to the point I couldn’t do it anymore," she explained.
And now, she doesn’t have to.