Day of Service planned for Sept. 10 in San Carlos

They say that more helping hands make a lighter load … and that’s what the city of San Carlos is banking on with its Day of Service planned for Sept. 10. 

The Day of Service 2017 will offer residents numerous ways to make the city sparkle!  You can paint backstops, park walls or teach reading to children or music to seniors at the Elms. There are endless opportunities for neighbors and families to get together and show their city pride and good neighbor values.

Here are some of the organized opportunities: 

Vista Park: Nestled atop Crestview Park, Vista Park overlooks the Bay and is in need of weed abatement, mulching and re-planting. It will take the work of about 20 volunteers to clean up this park. 

Burton Park: Burton Park is scheduled to receive a fresh coat of paint on its playground wall in the 5 to 12 year-old-play area and some new plants! About 25 volunteers are needed to clean, prep and paint the wall, and another 20 to plant new landscaping and add mulch around the Chestnut Picnic Site near the Bocce Courts. Morning and afternoon shifts are available. 

Got Fruit? We’ve got plenty of fruit trees in San Carlos, but unfortunately, not everyone is able to pick the fruit. This is a great opportunity for middle or high schoolers to volunteer to pick the fruit off of registered neighbors’ trees! This project needs about 25 volunteers for the morning harvest.

Toiletry and Food Drive: The Defender’s Lodge at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto is seeking toiletries and non-perishable food items.  Residents can help not only by donating goods but also by staffing the donation booth. Shifts are from noon to 4 p.m.

Clean out the cobwebs at the Library: Several families are needed to dust, clean and shine our public library. Shifts are available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Habitat Restore: Two sets of volunteers are needed to help staff the store. Volunteers must be 16 years old and be ready to organize and clean merchandise, as well as assist customers and unload shipments. Volunteers are also needed to specifically lift and load items from the truck and move them to and from the sales floor. 

Hit the Fields: Our recreation fields throughout the city are in need of cleaning. This is a great way to spend two hours – picking up trash, batting cage and goal repair, backstop painting and more. There is one shift from 10 a.m. to noon but people are needed for both soccer and baseball field work at Arguello and Burton parks.

Music and Memory: The San Carlos Elms for seniors needs up to five volunteers to help facilitate its Music and Memory program for elders suffering from dementia.

Reading Buddies: Twenty 6-8th graders and 20 Kinder through third graders are needed to be training in the Keep Klimbing reading program. Trained students will be able to then be paired one-on-one with younger students to help provide quantifiable and affordable reading improvement for young children.

Donations: Diapers can be donated to help low-income and foster children through the San Mateo Children’s Fund. The Church of Epiphany is also collecting Cup A Soup, instant oatmeal packages, microwaveable single-serve cans of food and other food items to be put into welcome bags for veterans through the Defenders Lodge. Items can be dropped off through August at Epiphany or brought to the Service Day Headquarters at Burton Park.

See anything you like? Sign up at https://www.sancarlosdayofservice.org/2017projects