Atlanta couple helping neighbors in need by cleaning up their overgrown yards

An Atlanta couple is making it their mission to cut lawns needing a transformation across the city.

Jarvis Drake and Diamond Owens started Drake Lawn Care a few years ago with the idea of finding people in need of free services.

Those people are generally on the verge of, or currently in violation of code, because of an overgrown yard and are at risk of losing their house. They include anyone who is elderly, disabled, or who may not be able to physically or financially handle their lawn maintenance.

"My beautiful wife Diamond, she always told me, 'Let's give back to our community,'" Drake said. "I had to find a way to give back, and this was my way of giving back."

The duo recently agreed to take on a yard in south Atlanta that had been overgrown for quite some time.

"We do it 100% free of charge, and actually I don't say free because it costs us money to do it," Owens said.

The yard in south Atlanta surrounds a home owned by Renee Davis. Davis said the home has been in her family for generations, but no one has lived there for several years because of a fire. Prior to the fire, Davis said her mother lived in the home, and it's a place where all of her grandchildren made memories.

"This was where we stayed at," Davis said. "Good memories. It was five years ago. My momma and them was just relaxing. She had a caregiver, and she mistakenly laid the lamp on the bed, and it was a big fire. Momma thought she had paid the insurance, but she didn't, so we couldn't rebuild."

In the time afterwards, Davis' mother died, and Davis was diagnosed with cancer, something she recently beat. On a fixed income, paying for an apartment, and paying the house's property taxes, Davis said she was unable to take care of the yard. She said the family always hoped to be able to remodel the house before her mom died.

"All last year I was getting chemo and radiation," Davis said. "Now I ain't got no more cancer, but I have tired days."

Davis reached out to Drake Lawn Care for help. Turns out Drake discovered a special connection to Davis, which turned this into a passion project.

"Before they can even start rebuilding, we've got to clean up this yard for them," Drake said. "My mom, back in 2014, we lost her due to sarcoma cancer, so she did not make it after the chemo. So, when she reached out to me and let us know she beat cancer, that reminded me of my mom. That hit home for me, so I had to come help her."

Drake said he's from the neighborhood, so he views it as a neighbor helping a neighbor.

The two spent a little less than seven days making the yard look unrecognizable, but it came with a price tag: just south of $1,000 out-of-pocket. Despite that, both said the impact and the reaction are always priceless.

"There's somebody next door to you that could use your help," Owens said. "It just takes a little bit of time. A little bit of kindness. It goes a long way, and it comes back ten-fold."

If you or someone you know needs extensive lawn maintenance and may meet some of Drake Lawn Care's requirements, you can contact them at 404-218-9617.