Anyone who spends some time with South Euclid residents Linda Thurston and Michael Sering knows that helping others is in their DNA.

In 2019, Thurston helped launch KeyStone Community Services, a small nonprofit, all-volunteer organization in South Euclid that provides services and resources for neighbors in need. Sering is vice president of housing and shelter for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, an organization that challenges systematic injustices by providing housing, advocacy, youth programming, and other services to those in need, in addition to running the largest men’s shelter in Ohio.

With KeyStone's motto, “For You, Your Neighbors, Your Community,” Sering and Thurston are always looking for ways to lend a helping hand. The volunteers do everyting from city beautification projects and yard cleanups to providing lists of service organizations that help seniors and residents who may need assistance.

Wash me, please

Even when the pair are out for leisure, they still see ways to improve their community and the lives of their South Euclid neighbors. Most recently, Sering and Thurston noticed the planters lining Mayfield Road looked a bit shabby. 

“We do a lot of walking around and as we traveled South Euclid, going to the Rock the Block, the restaurants, and listening to the music at the Food Truck Park and things like that, we happened to notice those flower pots that line the streets," recalls Thurston. “They're just dirty.”

The planters before cleaningThurston says the planters’ condition stood out among the improvements in the city, particularly at the intersection of Mayfield and Green Roads. “There's a lot of good stuff going on up in that area,” she says. “[Those were] just something that was kind of an eyesore.”

So, Thurston and Sering gathered a couple of Keystone volunteers and approached One South Euclid (OSE) CDC about a plan they were hatching to clean the planters.

“Linda applied for a Mini Grant this summer and the [OSE] grants committee loved their idea of organizing volunteers to clean the concrete pots on Mayfield Road using safe and environmentally friendly methods,” says Annette Iwamoto, OSE executive director. “Within a few months they had figured out all the logistics with the City and, with the help of a few volunteers, cleaned 19 flowerpots on Mayfield Road.” 

Sering and Thurston then went the City of South Euclid, which installed and maintains the planters, to get permission for the project. “We put in a request with the city to make sure it was okay that we were able to do it, and they were glad for us to do it," Thurston says. “It was really good collaboration.”

Getting noticed

A $100 OSE mini grant helped Thurston and Sering fulfill their vision. “It was cool to get a grant from One South Euclid,” says Sering. “Then, we bought the supplies, brushes and buckets from local businesses and cleaned the 19 planters that stretch from Trippy’s Smoke Shop all the way up to the [TrueValue South Euclid] Hardware Store.”

The clean plantersHe says the initiative drew a bit of attention. “One guy, when we were doing them, happened to be walking by right when we got started,” recalls Sering. “Then he came back going the other way a few hours later when we were almost done. He was like, ‘Wow, you guys are really moving along. You're doing a great job.'"

South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo even mentioned the project at a city council meeting.

“I think the mayor was excited about it,” says Thurston. “So it was a big hit.”

In addition to brightening up the Downtown Mayfield-Green District, OSE’s Iwamoto says the project is what she hoped would come out of the CDC’s offerings.

“It is an example of how our Mini Grant program can bring our community together for community engagement and beautification initiatives,” she says. “It is exactly the type of project we love to see and support through [this] program.” 

Yard Assist

Beyond the planter project, Keystone Community Services has been actively involved in helping seniors and residents with property maintenance challenges. The organization helps homeowners tame their overgrown properties that could potentially lead to city violations.

Before and after photos of Keystone Community Services' work on an overgrown propertyThurston says they particularly focus on residents with limited incomes who cannot afford professional landscaping services.

“We're just a community focused organization,” she explains, adding that the nonprofit advocates for senior-friendly initiatives, such as a campaign to secure smaller trash receptacles to accommodate seniors and people with disabilities—rather than the large, often cumbersome standard containers.

Thurston says she and Sering enjoy helping out their neighbors, simply because they love living in South Euclid.

“I have lived here since 2013 and have seen how there is a constant effort to connect people, improve livability, and make life fun,” Thurston says. “Some highlights include the live music and special events around the city, the somewhat-recent improvements at the community center— such as the pickleball courts and electric car charging stations.”

She adds that they have plans to add more informational links, as well as city and county resources, to the Keystone website.