After her husband’s death in 2006, Joan Chaffin was left responsible for the care of their Grand Junction home, including a back yard with a slope so steep that she didn’t feel safe weeding it unless she was clinging to a long rope tied to a tree.

Admittedly, Chaffin said, she shouldn’t have been makeshift rappelling in her backyard in her mid-70s. She was just hesitant to ask for help.

Two years ago, however, she changed her mind. After seeing advertisements for several years about Grand Valley ShareFest, an annual event pairing community volunteers with people needing work done on their properties, Chaffin finally signed up.

“I just enjoyed their company so much,” Chaffin said of her experience with ShareFest volunteers.

ShareFest isn’t just for seniors, but seniors like Chaffin make up a majority of the people seeking help from hundreds of volunteers who spread out across the valley to complete projects.

ShareFest is in its 11th year and though most volunteers come from area churches, anyone from the community may take part.

Rebecca Mashburn first volunteered with ShareFest nine years ago, and in 2016 she returned to work as part of her church group after its congregation decided to take part in the event for the first time.

“Before we were strangers, but we really are neighbors,” she said.

She said it was a heartwarming experience and it was equally wonderful seeing how the event brought her entire church together.

To Tim Roseberry, one of the lasting benefits of ShareFest is its sense of unity, both in the valley and within the faith community.

As executive pastor at Fellowship Church, Roseberry’s congregation was one of the original churches to participate in ShareFest in 2008.

“Early on, there was just not a lot of church unity in the valley,” Roseberry said. “When ShareFest started, there were principal churches that got together to see this thing through. It brought us together in a way we had never seen before. We did it to see people get help in the valley, but how cool it is that we can come together as a body of Christ?”

This year’s ShareFest is April 28-29, and people need not be a member of any area church to receive help. In fact, Roseberry said, volunteers don’t push anyone toward any church.

“We want to show the love of Christ in a practical way,” he said.

At least 30 churches have already stepped up to participate, according to longtime organizer Debe Colby.

“We still believe the needs of our community are numerous and deserve our attention,” Colby said. “We may be rebounding as an overall community financially, but there are still many people who cannot afford some of the basic things a homeowner needs, such as cleaning gutters and starting swamp coolers.”

Organizer Vicki McGee said the event has found its place in the valley.

“I think we found that it really is something that is needed, and of course, the volunteers love it,” McGee said. “We do yard work, garden preparation, window washing—mainly something that’s going to take manpower. Cleaning up a yard sometimes takes 10 people.”

It’s true, Chaffin said. The group who helped her spent nearly three hours trimming bushes, cleaning up a planter and weeding her steep back yard. It’s hard to think she once did that work all on her own.

Those in need of assistance with tasks such as turning on swamp coolers, cleaning up yards, window washing or even flipping mattresses are encouraged to apply at www.gjsharefest.com by April 20.