“I’m hoping that this spreads,” said Culver City Mayor Chris Armenta as he looked over a sea of more than 200 volunteers on Saturday morning, all dressed in yellow “Mormon Helping Hands” shirts, and working together to refurbish the city’s Syd Kronenthal Park.
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Mayor Chris Armenta, fourth from left, and Santa Monica Stake President Robert Keeler, third from left, are surrounded by Mormon Helping Hands leaders at Kronenthal Park. Photo by Alysha Cox
“How wonderful would that be if we saw this spread to every community,” the Mayor said. “It takes just a small batch like this to get it started.”
Indeed, it has spread. This group of volunteers, composed of members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was among hundreds of such groups working throughout California, with an estimated 70,000 volunteers working to restore parks and recreational facilities state-wide.
The effort comes at a time of strong need for the Culver City. City Councilman Andy Weissman, also present on Saturday, explained, “The city is facing a $4 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year. Volunteerism is a crucial way to help fill gaps in service where funds are short.
“Anytime we get a group like yours willing to contribute so much time and energy, money and material, we fully appreciate it.”
Mormon Helping Hands volunteer Nate Wyne, who was there with his wife and 1-year-old son, said:
“Seeing and hearing about all the problems that our section of the city faces, it’s really encouraging to see what so many people can do in so short a time. I hope this carries.”
The volunteers varied greatly, but, like Mr. Wyne, all shared a similar love for community service. Kelly Hunter, mother of five, was there working with her children.
“Service to our family is a blast,” Ms. Hunter said. “We love helping other people. We love to work together. On top of that, to know you’re making somebody else happy is just a fabulous thing.”
Among other objects, volunteers painted workout equipment, a bike rack and a huge wall covered in graffiti. They also cleaned a large sand box area, planted flowers and weeded around the parking lot.
Local event organizer Jay Zwahlen said that “providing community service is something that should always be a priority in people's lives. Syd Kronenthal Park is well-used during the year. It was great to give it a little facelift.”
City Parks Service Supervisor Reuben Ventura was amazed at the day’s productivity. “You were able to do it all in a few hours,” he said. “Thank you for all your help.”
LDS Stake President Robert Keeler, ecclesiastical leader of eight Mormon congregations in the Santa Monica area, worked alongside his fellow volunteers.
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to serve our local community,” Mr. Keeler said. “Well-maintained parks and recreational facilities are essential for a healthy and well-balanced society. They are a resource that we all use and we should all feel responsible for keeping them clean.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participates in numerous service projects throughout Los Angeles each year, including blood drives, food bank staffing, Boy Scouts, and Emergency Preparedness fairs.
Helping Hands Volunteer Adam Sidwell, who works professionally as a visual effects artist, said, “The world has enough hurting hands. Let’s be some helping ones.”
Councilman Weissman concluded: “The community certainly has a crying need for efforts such as this. Anytime we can take advantage of people who are as generous as Latter-day Saints are, we welcome it.”
