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MANTECA APRIL 21
Volunteers sought for community projects
LOVE MANTECA EVENT6 4-9-17
Volunteers work sprucing up the Tidewater Bikeway during the 2017 I Love Manteca event. - photo by Bulletin file photo

If you want to give Manteca a little love then mark Saturday, April 21, on your calendar.

That’s when volunteers are needed to spend three hours on various projects from 9 a.m. to noon as part of the annual I Love Manteca endeavor.

“Beyond Love Manteca we hope Mantecans would have a pride and love for their town,” noted Jim Todd who is helping organize the event. “Sure, if Santa Barbara were a choice to live it would be nice — but here in Manteca is where my family, grandkids, friends, church (are) and Manteca is my town.  I know a ton of people feel the same.  

Among the projects so for that volunteers are needed to assist with are:

uOil and filter change along with vehicle inspection at no charge to single moms and single dads as well as widows in need of such services. Duties include checking in appointments. If someone is in need of service call (209) 239-8266 to make a preregistered appointment. Two have signed up and six openings remain for volunteers. The effort is being led by Ted Atkins.

uTree trimming low branches and checking tree basins and spreading bark along the Moffat leg of the Tidewater Bikeway. One person has signed up and 74 openings remain. The project is being headed by the Manteca Sikh Temple.

uYard work, cleaning gutters, and planting a vegetable garden at the Raymus House — a shelter for homeless single moms and their children. Two have signed up and eight openings remain. The project is led by Shakir Ahad and the Islamic Center of Manteca,

uTrash pickup and beautifying the Tidewater Bikeway. Nine have signed up and 21 openings remain.

uCounty road clean-up along preassigned roads surrounding and in Manteca. No one has signed up and 10 openings remain.

uEast Union Memorial Cemetery clean-up and landscaping. Nineteen have signed up and 31 openings remain.

uSouthside Park bark project. No one has signed up and 40 openings remain. The project is led by Jim and Julie Prestwood.

uSpringtime Park bark project. Five have signed up and 35 openings remain. The project is led by Julie Minton and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.

uBark spreading at other Manteca parks. No one has signed up and 40 openings remain.

uHOPE Family Shelters transitional housing shelter yard work and cutting down a tree. One person has signed up and 14 openings remain.

uCanned food drive with volunteers working in teams around the city collecting canned goods from predetermined neighborhoods for distribution to area food pantries. A pre team is needed to distribute leaflets a week in advance to let people know about the drive. No one has signed up so far and 100 openings still remain.

uHelping Love’s Treasures — a Manteca non-profit that helps those in need of household items — move to a new location. Four have signed up and 46 openings remain.

uThere are also support teams including one that will work from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. to move supplies and resources to the staging area from Crossroads Community Church and returning them.

Volunteers will gather at 8:30 a.m. at Northgate Park for check-in, a kick-off rally, refreshments, a group photo, and information on their project before heading out to the sites. To assure a smooth process and to make sure adequate manpower is secured you are asked yo go on line at lovemanteca.com to select a project and pre-register.

The website also indicates the projects that are family friendly or little kid friendly.

The Love Manteca is the outgrowth of two efforts: “Taking it to the Streets” that was done for a number of years on an annual basis that was organized by Crossroads Community Church and I Love Modesto launched in 2007.

“Taking it to the Streets” provided a significant amount of service to the community with perhaps the highest profile being the planting of more than 300 trees and maintaining them for three years until they were established along the Moffat Boulevard leg.

Four years ago “Taking it to the Streets” joined the Love movement throughout the Central Valley as well as elsewhere in California.

Nearby cities that will also have projects on April 21 are Escalon, Lodi, Modesto, Oakdale, Ripon, Riverbank, Salida, Stockton, Tracy, and Turlock among others.

Love Modesto started with two questions back in 2007: “Why is our city on some of the “worst cities in America” lists? What if our churches were to suddenly disappear from the Modesto area, would anyone even care or notice? 

The first Love Modesto on March 7, 2009. More than 1,200 people showed up to love our city in practical ways. The Modesto effort has been done 12 times since then and added more than 50 cities., Over 70,500 people have been involved — young, old, abled, disabled  people from a church or no church at all. Around 250,000 volunteer hours have been donated. This represents over $6.5 million in service based on formulas found at independentsector.org) that have been given to communities.

Projects include physical and non-physical projects for people of all ages, serving the City of Manteca and non-profits, and individuals.  Going to Lovemanteca.com allows anyone to sign up.  Projects could still be added, according to Todd.  

Love Manteca shirts are available for $5 to wear that day. Todd said it is a tad daunting to make budget for the day of service. If sponsors donate $500 or more they can have their logo on the back of the shirts.

Questions or comments can be sent to jimtodd@lovemanteca.com or shawnluis@lovemanteca.com.