On Saturday, May 8, 80,000 volunteers, 8 years and older, are expected to participate in the “Mormon Helping Hands – Renewing California Parks” day of service. Mormons in every community in California, working with park and civic officials, have identified hundreds of projects in parks throughout the State.
Locally, the Mormon Church, under the direction of President Steve Lindberg and President Ray Carlson, met with Rick Gould, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Santa Clarita, to determine where they might be of help. More than 120 church members will be planting shrubs and ground cover on a slope at Canyon Country Park along with the young adults who will be working on graffiti removal in the city.
“Our communities truly benefit from the volunteer help provided through the Mormon Helping Hands day of service program and it is quite impressive to see so many volunteers working together to benefit our quality of life in the Santa Clarita Valley”, said City Manager, Ken Pulskamp.
More than 900 church members will also be at Castaic Lake painting fences, curbs and planting trees along with general cleanup. When asked about this project President Lindberg said, “Mormon Helping Hands is a wonderful opportunity for members of our Church to join with others in serving our community. This year gives us a day to combine our efforts in beautifying our county and city parks.”