- In short: A local business in Tasmania began mowing lawns for free after noticing a lot of clients simply couldn't afford their services
- What's next? Mission Australia is identifying more people who could require the free services of the landscaping business
Stacey Gaspero's battle with depression meant her garden was growing out of control and she was fearful she would be evicted from her home.
But an offer of free mowing by a gardening service has seen her backyard transformed and given her a sense of security about her future.
"Huge relief, and I am truly 100 per cent grateful," she said.
At Ms Gaspero's place the grass was high and rubbish was piling up.
"I have trouble with motivation because of mental issues and I lost control," she said.
"I look around and I want to clean and I don't know where to start. It more or less has been getting on top of me."
With the rising cost of living, the disability pensioner didn't have the money to hire someone to help.
"I know part of my job renting the place is to keep it clean and respectable, and at the moment it's just not," she said.
"I get worried that they're going to throw me out because I haven't lived up to their standards so to speak."
Max Heerey began mowing lawns for free after noticing a lot of clients simply couldn't afford his landscaping business's services.
"People were on the brink of getting evicted and then we would obviously quote," he said.
"People would say, 'there is no way I can afford that.' We were like, 'how can we help out?'
"We've got a bit of spare capacity so, on a Friday afternoon we'd go and mow for free."
With a background in finance, Mr Heerey manages to provide the free service by doing all his own accounting, marketing and by working extra hours over the weekends.
At first, Mr Heerey would go where he could see a need.
"Lots of people were like, 'What's the catch?'," he said.
Mr Heerey said the reactions of the people he had helped made the effort worthwhile.
"People are just over the moon," he said.
"The best aspect of doing this job would be when there's a family, there's kids inside, they're watching you mow their lawn that they previously couldn't use and then they come out and they're able to enjoy their lawns.
"It's so rewarding and that's why it doesn't really feel like work."
Mr Heerey said there were lots of people who had fallen on tough times, struggling financially or had health issues which meant they could not keep up with garden maintenance.
"[I] had a lady the other week who said she had been a cleaner for 40 years, she recently got made redundant and she wasn't able to afford to pay for her usual mowing service," he said.
"Her lawn, garden just went out of control and she said that was really getting her down mentally.
"To be able to take that off her mind and to help her out, those are the sorts of stories that really hit home."
Ms Gaspero lives in social housing managed by Mission Australia.
Support coordinator Taylor Hay said tenants are required to look after their properties as part of their lease agreement.
"I have come across a few clients who needed their lawns done, it had become a real issue with their property condition," she said.
"Obviously they haven't got you know thousands of dollars or whatever to get it done."
Ms Hay said worsening cost of living conditions were leading to people curbing their spending.
"If they can't afford to go to the doctor because they don't bulk bill anymore they're not going to be able to afford to pay someone to come and do their lawns."
Ms Hay said Mission Australia heard of the offer by Mr Heerey and are assisting in identifying people most in need of the service.
Stacey Gaspero couldn't be more grateful to Mr Heerey for her garden transformation.
"He's got an absolutely huge heart," she said.
