By Theresa-Marie Wilson
About 500 people are expected to lend a hand sprucing up areas in the community during the Mormon Church’s Just Serve Day of Service on April 25.
Formerly known as Helping Hands, the Just Serve Day of Service is for churches, civic organizations, and government agencies to link arms to strengthen local communities with meaningful service projects that will help those in need, beautify communities, and create connections. Day of Service organizers are working with JustServe.org, an Internet company that matches faith, nonprofit, community and governmental organizations that need volunteers with volunteers willing to help.
“You need to give back to the community,” said Gary Peterson, a member of the Pismo Beach Mormon congregation. “It is not enough to drive around and think that things need to get better, you have to participate. We just want to provide opportunities for members of the congregation and others in the community as well to get out and help.”
Local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have organized a big project at Grover Heights Elementary School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed for a long list of things including painting and sanding playground equipment, tables and benches, improving the landscaping in front of the school and painting in the kindergarten playground areas. Children will also work on organizing supplies to donate to the 5Cities Homeless Coalition.
Volunteers will also spend time in the library labeling each of the 9,000 books according to its reading level of difficulty.
“The principal wants all 9,000 books labeled,” Peterson said. “It’s a big project, but we have all the materials. We just need people to come and put dots on the books.”
At Grover Heights Park, adjacent to the school, another congregation will renovate the landscaping near the playground structure and create a seating and picnic area in memory of Mina Vaughn, a former City Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commissioner.
The work will include installing pavers, drought tolerant landscaping with drip irrigation, additional seating benches, as well as washing and painting the Rotary Pavilion picnic area and sign. Other work will include cleaning the playground sand area free of pine needles and redistributing the sand; same with the volleyball court area; sanding and painting existing benches, weeding, raking, trash pickup; and rehabilitating the horse shoe pit area.
“The city is honored and very appreciative to have been selected as a service project for the Just Serve day,” said Kathy Petker Grover Beach Parks and Recreation Program Director. “Grover Heights Park’s beauty and enjoyment will be enhanced with the completion of these improvements.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Day is also organizing a group to participate in playground clean up, succulent garden prep and planting and painting doors, a mural and a large USA map on the play ground at Dana Elementary School in Nipomo from 8 a.m. to Noon.
All community members are encouraged to participate in the Just Serve Day of Service.
“We welcome everybody to come out,” Peterson said. “It is totally nondenominational. There are no opening or closing prayers. It is just getting out and serving.”
Those interested in participating in a Day of Service event can visit JustServe.org and enter their zip code to see a list of available activities.