JustServe.org: A website for those who Care to Serve

Just Serve.org
This is a website set up by and supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; however it is of benefit to anyone who is looking for volunteers, or looking to do volunteer service.  If you have doubts check it out, you will find several projects in your local area.  Currently in Manteca there are projects at the Union Cemetery, Boys and Girls Club, Manteca History Museum and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

JustServe.org: Service Opportunities.

We had Fifth Sunday today, and a presentation on  the website: http://www.justserve.org/  This website is a way to connect those wanting to volunteer time and those looking for volunteers.  It is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  But it is more than a church sponsored vehicle.  It is available for all groups to use and post service opportunities, and for people to sign up to provide service.  If you want to give greater service, this is a great website, no matter were you live.  However it is being rolled out in stages.  It is especially active in California.  I noted that opportunities to serve for the Manteca weekend were on the site, and I understand hundreds of hours of service were provided.  I am not sure if this includes the final cleanup where hundreds of people converged on Woodland Park to help with the cleanup.  Anyway, it is not a bragging kind of a thing.  In fact, we all know that he who serves is often blessed more than the person being  served.

Life in Manteca123: Memorial Day Service: Park Clean Up

Tony was asking about this family tradition of getting up early on Memorial Day to go help clean the park.  He seemed to overestimate, but based on his years, this is our fourth Memorial Day Park Clean Up.  This is a small part we get to play in the Not Forgotten presentation put on in Manteca every year.  Those who put it on brag it is the largest such celebration West of the Mississippi.  That is pretty cool.  You can see my report of the actual day "Not Forgotten."
Here are a few pictures of this morning.  Tony did quite well, and was busy picking up with his mother for about a half hour before the temptation of friends and the playground took over.  He came home again saying Woodward Park is the best in Manteca.

Caleb Helped at a Basketball Tournament

Caleb and his companion spent the day helping at a basketball tournament, an outdoors event.  He and his companion kept score on a court all afternoon.  Someone kept asking him if he was OK, and he kept saying yes, but when the event was over he was a pretty lobster color.

My sunburned arm

Life in Manteca 95: Communtiy Service Day

Manteca Stake Community Service Day

I hate painting, but I signed up to participate in the community service day, and our ward was headed to French Camp to paint the Haven of Peace Shelter, and do other repairs as needed.  I grumbled to myself all Friday evening, why did I sign up?  I am going to be sick.  But Saturday morning I pealed myself out of bed, and I went and joined in the fun.  I thought for sure there must be something I can do so I do not have to paint, but in the end, that is what I did mostly was paint.  We painted the office.  First there was the job of taping and covering everything.  That took more than the first hour.  There was also some Spackle work, but not too much.  I was putting down plastic, and someone from another ward who is actually a painter said paper was needed, so as to cut down and carrying paint on your shoes, so we papered the floor.  Then came the paint.  We started with the ceiling, with some really big rollers.  It was hard to tell where you had been, but if you went over where you had been it pulled off the layer of paint you had just done.  It was hard getting it all done.
Then we did the walls, using the same rollers--a big mistake.  The rollers brought the cottage cheese texture onto the walls, we had to wipe it all off.  Then we got new rollers, and discovered the actual paint was polluted with the cottage cheese things, so I had to get them all off the new roller, and get another tray for paint, then we were set to go.  Turns out a second coat was needed.  I had had enough however, and went outside and shoveled some dirt and then called it a day.  That painting can be pretty hard work.
Then we took the boys to Home Depot.  I watched the boys, while Sheri checked out sheds.  We are at the point where we need to do something different with the garden tools, and until we do our garage is a hopeless case.  So sometime this week, they are gong to deliver a shed that we will have to put together.  When that is done, then we can clean the garage to where you can get in without putting your life in danger.