By John Nussbaum, SCVNews.com — Nearly 100 volunteers from local businesses and schools converged on the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center on Saturday, ‘Make a Difference Day’ throughut the United States, to help renovate buildings at the center damaged by flooding earlier this year.

“Make a Difference Day” brings volunteers together to pitch in on community projects, and this year marks the 11th that the nonprofit Hands on Santa Clarita organization has gathered more than 1,500 hands-on volunteers to complete projects at achools and other local facilities operated by nonprofit organizations, such as the Senior Center.

“It’s vital to the community. I think its very important that everybody gets out and does their part,” said Masters College student Robert Jensen. He added the effort is especially important to students at  The Masters College [because] “it’s a great way for us to go out and serve the community that has been serving us.”

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Jensen and others helped to revamp the Senior Center Administrative Office trailer with new carpet, paint and window coverings.

Three separate gardening and landscape projects were also completed.

The SCV Family of Water Suppliers brought in native plants that will be able to survive and thrive during hot summers in Santa Clarita. They also adjusted the Senior Center’s irrigation system to decrease the amount of water used on landscaping.

The Home Depot’s “Team Depot” was on hand to donate some time and resources with the landscaping around the center.

“As a company, we are highly committed to our communities, whether it’s here or any area in the country,” said Vincent Ocala, Santa Clarita Home Depot manager. “It’s immensely important to us [and] it’s one of our core values.”

“‘Make a Difference Day’ is a national event and it’s all over the country,” said Gerri McCorkle, a member of the SCV Senior Center Foundation board. “This is the day designated to pull people in from the community to help organizations, schools, churches [and] anyplace that needs to have some type of physical work or labor of love.”

For 21 years, Make a Difference Day has been a day for volunteer projects all over the country. The event is held every fourth Saturday in October.