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Allentown council hears plans to revive volunteer ‘Snow Angels’ sidewalk‑shoveling program
Summary
Former councilwoman Pam Barconi and local partner Rick Dougherty described the history of a volunteer sidewalk‑shoveling program that relied on student and county labor, said donations minimized taxpayer cost, and urged coordinated recruitment at a June workshop to relaunch the initiative.
Former councilwoman Pam Barconi and local partners described the history and challenges of Allentown’s volunteer Snow Angels sidewalk‑shoveling program at a city council meeting on May 18.
Barconi, who helped start the program when it was called “Snow Crew,” said the effort was a joint city‑county collaboration that used juvenile and student community‑service labor and relied heavily on private donations to operate. "At that time, it was valued at $15,000," Barconi said of a donated pickup truck, and she added that "the program did not require very much input from taxpayer dollars at all." Barconi said the program delivered both services to residents and positive experiences for participating youth.
Rick Dougherty of Lehigh Valley Active Life, a partner organization, told council the program ran for "about 4 to 6 years" and waned around 2018 after the Allentown School District ended a 40‑hour community‑service requirement that had provided a steady volunteer pool. Dougherty described basic safeguards used when matching volunteers and residents — insurance verification and waivers — and cautioned against assigning students to shovel vehicles because of safety and liability concerns.
Council members asked about eligibility and prioritization. According to presenters, the program prioritized urgent medical needs such as dialysis, accepted requests from city residents only (not businesses or landlords), and used staff to coordinate lists and routes. One council member asked whether the program coordinated with the city’s sweep/ticketing practices; presenters said that coordinating eligibility and enforcement policy was a topic worth examining.
City staff and council members discussed new recruitment strategies, including outreach to school clubs and sports teams to rebuild a volunteer base. A staff member said the city has met with the Allentown School District and plans to add this item to a workshop scheduled for June to pursue recruitment and partnership options.
Public works also voiced support. The street superintendent, speaking at the meeting, said the department "will certainly be behind it and support in any way we can," while noting sustained volunteer commitment is critical to the program’s long‑term success.
The meeting closed with no formal votes on the program; council directed staff to continue planning and to pursue coordination with the school district and public works. The next procedural step is the June workshop mentioned by staff.
