Bruce Newell, Senior Fire Officer at Modjeska Fire Station briefs volunteers for the long jobs of the day. Picture taken by Karen Lake
350 Mormons Mobilize to Renew Rancho Santa Margarita and Modjeska Canyon For Annual Community Day of Service
On May 8, hundreds of volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) in Rancho Santa Margarita participated in the annual “Mormon Helping Hands Community Day of Service” as part as a Church effort across all of California. Statewide, it is estimated that 70,000 members, joined in this effort on May 8 that reached not only into community parks, but also into national forests, coastlines and desert regions.
The project was carried out under the direction of President Sterling Brennan of the Santa Margarita Stake. A stake is similar to a Catholic diocese, made up of about seven congregations. President Brennan said, “This has been a busy spring, and I am so grateful for those who helped organize the projects and especially to those volunteers who came and gave their hours of service on Saturday. The turn out always amazes me.”
The day of service covered four distinct projects in Rancho Santa Margarita and Modjeska Canyon. In Rancho Santa Margarita volunteers in bright yellow “Mormon Helping Hands” vests worked in connection with the city and Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation (SAMLARC) to paint a retaining wall, dig out artichoke thistles at Canada Vista slope and distribute mulch at the Canada Vista Dog Park. Brian Mitchell of SAMLARC said, “We were thrilled when the LDS Church approached us asking about the needs of the city. We thought these three projects would really beautify and renew out community.”
100 of the 350 yellow-vested volunteers started their day at the Modjeska Canyon Fire Station. Bruce Newell, Senior Fire Officer, and Leslie Paskus of the Inter-Canyon League gave the team of volunteers guidelines and Poison Oak warnings before the hard day of work began. Before heading up the steep Olive Hill, Leslie Paskus expressed the canyon community’s gratitude to Mormon Helping Hands for their work during the wildfires and mud slides. Members of the community planned a full lunch, snacks, and water as a thank you for the day of service. Two little children from Modjeska Canyon, Synthia and Charlie Chapman, made 24 homemade cupcakes to distribute to the volunteers after their hot sweaty work was complete.
Hundreds of thousands of hours of community service were rendered on this special Mormon Helping Hands service day. Mormons in every community in California, working with park and civic officials, identified hundreds of projects in parks throughout California.
