County Offers Assistance Shoveling Snow for Seniors and the Disabled

With a snow storm expected to once again bury the region Sunday night, Camden County officials announced a program that offers assistance to senior citizens and disabled residents who are unable to remove significant amounts of snow accumulation from their properties.

“The snow removal program is available to help seniors and disabled individuals get out of their homes for necessities such as prescriptions or medical appointments,” Freeholder Scot McCray, liaison to the Camden County Department of Corrections, said.  “The program uses Camden County Jail inmates who are carefully screened, non-violent offenders who are guarded at all times on the job site by corrections officers.”

McCray offered the following details on the program:

• The Snow Removal Program will go into effect only after 4 inches of snow has fallen on the ground in our area.
• At-risk senior and disabled residents can contact the Camden County Division of Emergency Management at 856-783-4808 ext. 5060, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Calls for snow removal will not be taken until after it has stopped snowing.
• Work Crews will be dispatched only after it has stopped snowing.  The work crews will remove snow only during daylight hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Crews will respond to calls in the order they are received and will service as many residents as possible each day.  There are no guaranteed times when the crews will arrive at a residence.
• Senior and Disabled residents must call after each substantial snowfall to request this service.

The Department of Corrections will supply the needed equipment. The program does not supply salt or ice-melting chemicals, but crews will dispense them if supplied by residents. 

Contact and conversation between the inmates and the public are prohibited.  Gratuities and gifts or money, food, drink or any other item is strictly prohibited.