Bob Kerrigan owns a business in town, Alpha Graphics, and the Canton resident knows the community has been good to him.

That's why he felt the need to be in Bernadine Jenereaux's yard Saturday, raking leaves, trimming trees and generally cleaning up as part of the Plymouth Rotary Club's annual partnership with the Plymouth United Way on their Make A Difference Day effort.

“It's one of our projects to give back to the community,” said Kerrigan. “I own a business, I do business with the city and township and other businesses. This is a way to give back to the city and the township.”

The beneficiaries appreciated the effort.
“If they just pick up the leaves, I'd be happy,” said the 86-year-old Jenereaux, long retired from AT&T. “It costs me $150 to get my leaves cleaned up. I have a big yard, and a back yard.”

Volunteers spent Saturday doing a variety of chores for seniors like Jenereaux including sweeping, raking, cleaning and, in some cases, painting.
At Plymouth's Community Opportunity Center, which provides housing and comprehensive support for persons with developmental disabilities, volunteers moved furniture and reorganized the rooms belonging to five of the center's 15 residents.
It's all part of the joy of being a Rotarian, according to Jeff Stella.

“Some of our projects take more skill than others,” said Stella, who chairs the club's Rotary Cares committee. “It's a good way for all Rotarians to get involved.”

Add this year's effort to painting and the paving of a driveway done in past years, and the COC has benefitted repeatedly from Make A Difference Day. And center officials couldn't be more appreciative.
“You're talking about a lot of furniture,” said Wendy Ellis, the administrator of the non-profit COC. “With us having only two or three people per shift, there's just no way we could get this done.”