Landscape Project Transforms GreenTrees Complex, More Volunteers Needed

Ernie Lesniak sat in his wheelchair, sporting a pair of sunglasses and taking in the warm weather.

“Wow, that sun feels good,” the GreenTrees resident said.

He had just been released from the hospital over the weekend and arrived home to a flurry of activity. An estimated 40 volunteers were on hand planting trees, shrubs and flowers at the low-income Huntley housing complex.

The McHenry County Housing Authority started a landscape project last fall to improve the grounds of the complex. The agency received funding but needed volunteers to help with the work.

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Over the last few weeks, youth groups, church groups and community groups have come out to help on the project, Fender said. This weekend brought out 17 teens from .

There were a lot of girls volunteering, Fender said. “These girls had perfectly manicured fingernails and wore flip-flops but they were really working.”

While a lot of work has been done over the last few weeks, Fender needs more volunteers for one more workday. The immediate need, however, is for volunteers to plant the 12 trees leftover from the weekend.

The trees need to be planted this week, she said. Fender does not want the trees to go to waste and is desperately seeking volunteers.

Architect Karl Krogstad said the project is 80 percent complete.

Slowly, GreenTree’s grounds have been transformed.

GreenTree residents are buzzing about the changes.

“This is actually nice, a more enjoyable area,” Lesniak said, looking around and taking in the trees and flowers.

“I think he will want to go outside more,” said his granddaughter, Angie Craig.

Residents have appreciated the effort by volunteers, Fender said. And volunteers have taken satisfaction from the project, she said.

Maggie Dar and Paige Slater of Huntley Jaycees were among the volunteers over the weekend. The two carried shovels and did a lot of the heavy planting and spread mulch.

“It feels phenomenal, just amazing to come here and do something to help out,” Darr said.