Do real work.
Earn real money.
Make a real difference.
Cut with Purpose is a student-led lawn care campaign in Richmond, BC. Join as a student mower or volunteer this summer — and be part of something that goes beyond grass.
Three ways to be part of it
Whether you want to earn money mowing lawns, give time as a volunteer, or both — there’s a place for you in this campaign.
Student Mower
Take on booked lawn jobs in your neighbourhood. You show up, you mow, you get paid. Equipment is provided.
- Earn at least $30 per lawn completed (60% of $50)
- Equipment, safety gear, and scheduling provided
- Work in your preferred neighbourhood zone
- Verified volunteer hours for school records
- Optional online drug prevention awareness workshop
- Minimum commitment: one lawn to complete the program
Volunteer Helper
Earn 10+ verified volunteer hours through a mix of activities — no mowing required. Great for school service hours or just getting involved.
- Earn at least 10 verified volunteering hours — credited fairly for every activity you take part in
- Campaign review: explore the site and submit a short written reflection
- Outreach & recruitment: promote to friends and classmates
- Social media (min. 3 posts): post content tagging @cutwithpurpose on Instagram
- Drug prevention workshop: attend Zoom session and write a reflection
- Community support: distribute flyers in your neighbourhood
Committee Member
Take a leadership role in shaping this campaign. Help plan and coordinate — and build real connections with people who care about the same things you do.
- Help plan, coordinate, and shape campaign events and service days
- Work directly with the organizing team on decisions that matter
- Participate in leadership training designed for young changemakers
- Meet and connect with local community leaders and organizations
- Build genuine friendships with like-minded, purpose-driven peers
- Receive a personalized reference letter for university admission or job interviews, upon request
How to earn your 10+ hours
Volunteer hours are officially documented and credited for every activity you take part in. Complete any combination of the activities below — we review each submission and do our best to recognise your effort fairly.
Campaign Review & Reflection
Explore the website. Understand the mission, pricing, and impact. Then write a short ½–1 page reflection: What is the campaign about? What works well? How could it reach more people?
Outreach & Recruitment
Recruiting someone isn’t just dropping a link — it’s a real conversation. You explain what the campaign is about, answer their questions, and follow up until they confirm interest. That back-and-forth takes genuine effort, and we recognise it. In practice, it’s as simple as texting a few friends you think would be into this.
Drug Prevention Awareness Workshop
Attend a live online Zoom session on drug prevention and awareness, then complete a short reflection. Practical, no-judgment, and relevant to BC communities. Zoom date TBD — will be announced.
Social Media Promotion
Spreading the word meaningfully — choosing what to say, who you’re speaking to, making it feel real — is real work, and we recognise it. Publish at least 3 posts or stories across the campaign season (you can spread them out), tag @cutwithpurpose, and use #cutwithpurpose. Your own voice and style is exactly what we want.
Community Support & Flyer Distribution
Spread the campaign message in your neighbourhood. Distribute flyers to nearby neighbours and help build local awareness for the campaign and its mission.
More than a summer job
Every student who joins this campaign leaves with tangible outcomes — not just a good memory.
Real Income
Student mowers earn at least $30 per completed lawn — paid out by the campaign organiser. No tips required. Fair wage, every time.
Verified Volunteer Hours
All participants receive documented volunteer hours for school requirements, scholarship applications, or personal records.
Drug Awareness Education
A practical, no-judgment session on drug risks in BC communities. Learn to recognize warning signs and talk about prevention with confidence.
Leadership Skills
Scheduling, client communication, showing up on time and doing the job right. These are skills employers and universities notice.
Community Impact
Your work directly supports Richmond. Part of every booking funds health care and drug prevention education — your labour makes that possible.
Résumé & Portfolio
Real campaign. Real outcomes. A student-led initiative with verifiable community impact is something worth putting your name on.
What student mowers actually earn
Every $50 booking is split by the customer’s choice — but students always receive a minimum of 60%. Here’s how that plays out across a few lawns.
Per lawn (minimum)
$30
60% of every $50 booking goes directly to you. Customers often direct more.
5 lawns in a season
$150+
A light campaign participation earns meaningful income and volunteer hours.
10 lawns in a season
$300+
A full season commitment — real summer income alongside all other campaign benefits.
ℹ️ Earnings are paid out by the campaign organiser after each completed service is confirmed. Exact amounts depend on customer allocation choices.
Why this campaign exists
Cut with Purpose was built on a simple belief: that a student mowing a lawn can contribute to something much larger than the lawn itself.
The campaign was founded as a Grade 12 Capstone Project at Steveston‑London Secondary. What began as a GoFundMe for drug awareness education in Richmond — raising $800 and growing — evolved into a hands-on community campaign combining real work, real income, and real impact.
Every lawn mowed supports youth employment, drug prevention education, and community health care. The campaign directs a portion of each booking to the Responsible Drug Learning Association and the Richmond Hospital Foundation — two organizations doing the work that matters most.
Our mission: To combine youth employment, community service, and drug prevention education into one purposeful campaign — one lawn at a time.
Our vision: A Richmond where young people are engaged, informed, and empowered — not because they had to be, but because they chose to be.
From application to first lawn
The process is simple. We handle the bookings — you show up, do the work, and we take care of the rest.
Apply
Fill out the form below with your name, contact info, preferred role, and availability zones.
Connect
We’ll reach out to confirm your availability and answer any questions before getting started.
Attend Session
An optional online drug prevention awareness workshop is available to all participants — recommended but not required.
Get Assigned
Student mowers are matched to confirmed bookings in their preferred neighbourhood zone and notified by email.
Complete & Earn
Finish the job, log your volunteer hours, and receive your earnings payout from the organiser.
Common questions
No experience is required. Basic ability to operate a push mower is all you need — we’ll walk you through the expectations at orientation. If you’ve mowed a lawn at home, you’re ready.
No. All equipment — including mowers and safety gear — is provided by the campaign. You just need to show up at the scheduled time.
You earn at least $30 per completed lawn (60% of the $50 booking). Customers often choose to direct more of their $50 to the student — some allocate 70%, 80%, or even 90% to you. The minimum is always $30.
Yes. Choose “Volunteer Helper” when applying. Volunteers support crews on service days, help with logistics, and earn verified volunteer hours — no solo mowing required.
Yes. All participants — mowers, volunteers, and committee members — receive documented volunteer hours that can be used for school requirements, scholarship applications, or other records.
Your hours come from a mix of activities — each requires a simple submission so we can recognise your involvement:
- Campaign Review & Reflection — 1 hour. Explore the website and write a short ½–1 page reflection. Submit by Gmail or Instagram DM.
- Outreach & Recruitment — credited activity. Reach out to friends, have real conversations about the campaign, and get them to confirm interest. Submit each person’s name, Gmail, and school.
- Drug Prevention Awareness Workshop — 2 hours (1 hr Zoom session + 1 hr reflection). Date TBD — will be announced.
- Social Media Promotion — credited activity, minimum 3 posts. Post or story on Instagram tagging @cutwithpurpose and #cutwithpurpose. Submit a screenshot of each post.
- Community Support / Flyer Distribution — 1 hour. Distribute flyers nearby and submit a photo or brief report.
You can mix and match — most volunteers reach 10+ hours through 3–4 activities. We review every submission and credit your involvement fairly. See the Hours breakdown section above for full details.
It’s a live online Zoom session — practical, no-judgment, and relevant to BC communities. You’ll learn to recognize warning signs of drug misuse, understand the risks, and feel confident talking about prevention with your peers.
The workshop counts as 2 volunteer hours: 1 hour for attending the Zoom session, and 1 hour for completing a short reflection afterward. The date is TBD and will be announced once scheduling is confirmed.
Participation is optional but encouraged — it’s one of the things that makes this campaign genuinely different from any other summer job.
The campaign is open to high school students (Grade 9 and above) and older. If you’re younger and motivated, reach out — we’re open to hearing from you.
The campaign covers six zones across Richmond:
- Zone A — Steveston, Seafair, Boyd Park, Westwind
- Zone B — Terra Nova, Riverdale, Quilchena
- Zone C — Broadmoor, Blundell, Sunnymede, Thompson
- Zone D — City Centre, Brighouse, Lansdowne, Garden City
- Zone E — Cambie, Bridgeport, West Cambie, East Cambie
- Zone F — Ironwood, South Arm, Shellmont, Hamilton
You can select one or more preferred zones when applying. We’ll match bookings to your availability.
The campaign runs during the summer of 2026 in Richmond, BC. Service weeks are scheduled by neighbourhood zone. Exact dates will be confirmed after you apply and connect with the organiser.
For student mowers, the minimum is one completed lawn — that’s enough to complete the program and receive volunteer hours. There’s no maximum: the more you do, the more you earn.
Express your interest
Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch to confirm your availability, answer any questions, and get you started. No commitment required at this stage.
Application received!
We’ll be in touch soon to confirm your availability and next steps. Check your inbox for a confirmation email. We’re glad to have you with us.