There seems to be a shortage of people helping out in the snow.
In Manhattan, two friends stepped up after the blizzard on January 25, clearing sidewalks around 30 local establishments and homes without charging a dime.
Andrew Psomas, who lives in Noho, had anticipated significant snowfall from Winter Storm Fern. So, he reached out to his friend Danny Reid—a content creator and adventure athlete—at about 9:30 p.m. the night before to ask if he’d join him.
They began their snow-clearing mission at 6 a.m. on January 26, with the straightforward aim of getting as many sidewalks cleared as possible before heading to work.
“I’ve been shoveling snow around here for a while. It reminded me of when I was a kid and used to do the same thing,” said Psomas, who is 31 years old.
“I realized many people aren’t able to shovel their own snow. Some can even face serious health issues while doing it,” he added, noting the needs of older residents and those unable to manage the task.
He thought his efforts would be more enjoyable with company, so he called Danny, who is always eager for new adventures.
By 9 a.m., they had cleared an impressive 30 sidewalks on Bleecker Street in NoHo, taking about three hours to finish.
Meanwhile, Pizza Box, a local eatery on Bleecker Street, showed their appreciation by giving away free pizza after clearing their own sidewalk.
“We noticed you in the neighborhood! We cleared our own sidewalks, and our customers appreciate your hard work,” a staff member posted on Instagram. “We want to treat you to pizza. Well done! That’s quite a task you’ve taken on.”
“There’s a strong community spirit here; people look out for each other,” noted Psomas.
“I’m not going to sit around waiting for it to snow to do something good. I just wanted to make sure everyone could get around easily,” he concluded.
