Winter in Michigan can be brutal.

It will not be long before snow starts flying but, before that, this is yard work to be done.

Many seniors in southwest Michigan need a helping hand when prepping for winter, and that is where United Way volunteers rise to the challenge.

On Thursday, hundreds of volunteers across southwest Michigan will help seniors rake leaves, clean gutters and check smoke detectors as part of United Way’s sixth annual Day of Action for Seniors.

“It is part of our mission statement that we are ‘mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good,’” said Doug Ferrall, director of programs and evaluation at United Way of Southwest Michigan. “People think of United Way as a place to donate, and that is one way, but there is a whole act of volunteering, too.”

The program is geared toward seniors (those 60 and older) who are physically incapable of performing yard work and are unable to pay for services.

There are 212 seniors and 533 volunteers currently signed up for the Day of Action in Berrien and Cass counties.

“That number grows everyday,” Ferrall said. “I am sure it will be more than 550 when we are all done.”

The spirit of volunteerism is strong in the area, especially among the business community, Ferrall said. He added that many companies will form entire teams of volunteers to help the community and build strong bonds among co-workers.

This fall, however, has been unseasonably warm across the region and few leaves are down, and it could be another week or more before leaves start dropping in earnest, said Tom Coomes, chief meteorologist for ABC 57.

But Ferrall wants people to know that it will not hamper the efforts of United Way.

“Step one: this event isn’t going anywhere,” Ferrall said. “Next year, we are going to push it back a week.”

He added that this year has been a classic case of never being able to fully plan for the unpredictable weather in our area. But there is inside work that can be done, too, Ferrall said.

“This year [for the first time], we are doing smoke alarm installations,” he said. “If seniors need new alarms, Red Cross of Southwest Michigan is coming in and installing alarms and batteries, at no cost.”

There’s a potential for rain and a thunderstorm Wednesday, and Ferrall is hopeful that it will help knock leaves down in time for Thursday, he said.