Read more stories of acts of kindness in the November/December 2025 feature.
The Tillman family often takes walks around the Tepe Park neighborhood, getting a close look at the challenges facing community members. When they met a man unable to care for his lawn because of an injured leg, brothers Eric III, 15, Elias, 12, and Evin, 10, decided to spend the summer mowing lawns in need throughout their community.
“My brothers and I would see people who can’t really move and get around. And so we asked, ‘Why don’t we start doing this?” Eric III says. “This is a way to help out the neighborhood. We were all willing to put time and effort into doing it.”
He applied for and was granted $1,000 from Tepe Park Neighborhood Association’s Action Projects to create Tillman Brothers Lawn Care. One stipulation: The brothers had to provide free lawn care for 10 properties. After those first 10, residents pay what they can to support the business. Once the trio’s parents, Jamicia and Eric Jr., posted online about their efforts, requests flew in and equipment purchases followed. It helps that community service runs in the family: Eric Jr. is the neighborhood development director for Community One.
“The neighborhood has been very welcoming and supportive of them,” Jamicia says. “When they see them outside, they’re blowing their horns and stopping to talk to them, telling them how proud they are to see young men stepping up and wanting to do something.”
“It’s a lot for three boys to do on their own,” says Gina Young, who has managed Tepe Park’s community garden for three years. The brothers have mowed the surrounding grass twice now. “I appreciate all the help I can get. ”
Taking care of up to 20 lawns since April has presented the brothers with a learning curve. They found out about the different grass types, the time it takes for lawnmowers to run out of battery or fuel, and the preparation required before cutting a lawn. “We started to learn that we needed to mention to people, ‘Make sure everything is picked up before we come cut it,’” Eric III says. “The bugs were a challenge, too,” Elias adds. “We have to wear long sleeves and pants.” Since their services kicked off in the summer heat, they also were “sweating and very hot,” Evin says.
But overall, the experience is positive. “I like going out with my brothers and doing something very good,” Elias says. Eric III adds, “Meeting people in the neighborhood, I feel like that’s a great experience.”
Jamicia and Eric Jr. let their sons take the lead. “It was their idea, but they’re still young,” Jamicia says. “There’s a certain level of care that you still need to have, but we also wanted to step back and let them know, ‘You can do this.’”
The brothers want to expand their business with a truck and trailer to help transport equipment and create a platform for people to access their services. “I’m just proud of them because they wanted to start a business and do something good for the neighborhood,” Eric Jr. says. “Knowing that their minds are in the right place, wanting to help people more than anything, just makes me a proud father.”
