CHESAPEAKE, Va. —
If you need the motivation to do something good, a Chesapeake teenager will help you. Phoenix Browne is spending his free time mowing lawns to help others.
His purpose is to give back to others by cutting yards for the elderly, single parents, the disabled, and veterans.
“I was kind of inactive during the whole pandemic and I was like, well let me get up and do something,” Phoenix explained.
He said his dad saw a post that peaked his purpose for giving back to others.
“He called me and said 'Hey, you want to cut grass?' I said why not, let’s do this. He told me the reason, the purpose, and I was like let’s do this,” Phoenix said.
The challenge was to cut 50 yards. He did that in three weeks.
Phoenix completed it, and Raising Men Lawncare Service gave him a free lawnmower, leaf blower, and weed whacker.
“A lot of people they were like, 'You do this for free?' I was like 'Yes ma'am.' I was just having a lot of fun and they were like 'Why you do it for free?' I was just like 'Well, I like to give back,'" he said.
He also gained communication skills, confidence, and some new friends.
Phoenix now has a new goal in 2022 and he hopes other kids will help.
“If we have to put the 757 on our back, we can do it, cut 500 lawns. Why not?” he said.
His new goal is to mow 500 lawns in 10 weeks for free. He said his parents push him to be the best person he can be.
“It feels really great and we are very proud of him. He is very ambitious, but it takes teamwork,” said Phoenix's mom, Joycelene Tetteh.
She said another thing that helps him succeed is his schooling. He currently attends Virginia Virtual Academy.
“That flexibility there with him being at the school allows him to achieve his schoolwork during the week and find that balance to still give back is great,” she explained.
Phoenix said he’s ready to keep pushing that lawnmower from one yard to the next.
“People are asking me, 'Are you still cutting grass?' I’m like, 'Yes ma'am, yes sir.' If you want me out, I’m there," he explained.
Phoenix said he got some tips from people for cutting their grass. He used that money to feed the homeless in Norfolk.