VALLEY
B
Section
NEWS
May 15 –21, 2015
Includes: Entertainment Calendar of Events Dining Guide Business
www.myvalleynews.com
Volume 15, Issue 20
Over 600 participate in this year’s Temecula Valley Helping Hands event Brenda Tullis Special to the Valley News More than 600 men, women and children worked across Temecula Valley assisting in an array of service projects on Saturday, April 25. Braving the rain, wind and cold, 601 people including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other volunteers participated in the Temecula Valley Helping Hands event working at nine different locations in Temecula, Murrieta and Wildomar. Locations benefitting from the service projects included Harveston Community Park, Vail Ranch Park, Chaparral High School, Temecula Valley Rose Society, Kent Hintergardt Memorial Park, Murrieta Creek Trail and the Jefferson Recreation Center. A volunteer group of 109 people planted 74 trees at Kent Hintergardt Memorial Park and 139 others spread mulch along a one-mile stretch of the Murrieta Creek Trail. Others painted the metal fence around Harveston Community Park while another group painted the trellis at Vail Ranch Park. Additional volunteers painted the interior walls of the Jefferson Recreation Center’s warehouse. Still others deep cleaned the Chaparral High School’s gymnasium. Volunteers also worked at the Temecula Valley Rose Society and a smaller group helped at a Veterans Supplemental Support Network project at the Temecula Duck Pond and Veteran’s Memorial, an event honoring local veterans by taking time to serve them a meal with accompanying stories and entertainment. Another small gathering took place in Wildomar where volunteers assembled emergency toiletry kits for members of the military, veterans and their families. Stacy Fox works as a landscape inspector for the city of Temecula and was amazed at the people coming out to volunteer. “I think it’s fantastic that hundreds of people would come out on a Saturday and volunteer their time,” he said. Serving alongside dozens of others by hauling wheel barrows of mulch, pulling weeds and beautifying Rose Haven at the Temecula Valley Rose Society, Doctor Erik Lundquist of Morgan Hill said, “I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday than serving the community with my family.”
While their dad steadies the tree, 10-year old Cody and 7-year-old Hailey prepare the ground for the planting at the Kent Hintergardt Park at the Temecula Valley Helping Hands service day. Suzette Jacobsen photo
Phyllis Bettleheim, co-president of the Temecula Rose Society, gratefully oversaw the 63 volunteers who came out to help her organization. “This has been a marvelous help to us,” she said. Two of the projects requiring paint had to be postponed due to weather. “The wind has been very challenging and the rain has halted our work some but we’re always happy to serve,” said Greg Thompson who volunteered at the Vail Ranch Park repainting the trellis of the picnic area. Although the painting of the metal fence at the Harveston Community Park was also postponed, Temecula Valley High School Junior Cory Ruf was still happy to work while he could. “I thought it would be nice to come out and do something for the community,” he said. Mike Eynon brought his two children to plant trees at Kent Hintergardt Memorial Park and was pleased to know that he and his family had planted the first tree of the day. “I brought the kids out
to teach them about community service,” he said. Eynon’s 7-year-old daughter, Hailey said she loved being in the outdoors. “I came to help the earth,” she added. With an obvious seriousness about his work to dig a hole for the planting, young Tristan Nicora threw down his shovel, looked around and yelled, “Hey, where is my pick axe?” An auger was then made available, efficiently digging a hole for the young boy to plant his tree. Ken Goss enlisted his family to assist in the Murrieta Creek Trail project to spread mulch. “I’m hoping my children gain a sense of responsibility to the community and a love of service,” he said. “I guess it’s about giving back,” said Jim Neeley, who has raised eight children in Temecula Valley. Working to clean the Chaparral High School gymnasium, he said his oldest daughter graduated from TVHS because it was the only high school in Temecula at that time. “I remember the excitement we had
when they had just built this brand new high school 20 years ago. It’s nice to help make it new again and keep it special, like it is.” Temecula resident of 18 years, Dana Crisp, said that her oldest daughter was in the first senior graduating class at Chaparral High School. Serving at the VSSN project on Saturday, she explained why she and others had such a strong desire to serve her community. “We serve because we have been given so much and we want to give back,” she said. “I feel like all that I have--has been given to me by God and when I serve others, it’s my way of paying Him back for my blessings.” Next year’s Temecula Valley Helping Hands service day will again be featured at www.justserve. org, a website that successfully matches local organizations with willing volunteers. The website is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and can be freely utilized throughout the year. An invaluable resource, www.Justserve.org is available to
Suzette Jacobsen photo
Volunteers paint the rusted metal gate at the Harveston Park in Temecula on Saturday.
anyone seeking service opportunities or service hours in our community. Projects for consideration can be submitted to www.justserve.org by emailing justservetemecula@ gmail.com.
Helping their group plant 74 trees at the Kent Hintergardt Memorial Park, Dave Tenney, Bill Watson, Kevin Kartchner, Russell Fox and Dan Sorenson maneuver an auger at the Temecula Valley Helping Hands service project. Suzette Jacobsen photo
Ken Goss and 4-year old daughter Emma and 9-year old son David enjoyed spreading mulch along the Murrieta Creek Trail which was held during the Temecula Valley Helping Hands event. Suzette Jacobsen photo
Denise Earl, Jennifer Rhead and the teenaged girls belonging to the Earl family weed and beautify the gardens at the Temecula Valley Rose Society during the Temecula Brooklyn McClure photo Valley Helping Hands service day.
Tristan Nicora, center, son of Sally and Daniel Nicora, works between Jax and Crew Moody, sons of Carl and Chantel Moody, planting trees at the Kent Hintergardt Memorial Park during the Temecula Valley Helping Hands service day. Suzette Jacobsen photo