Love Modesto keeps on rolling as thousands participate in 160 volunteer projects
Modesto’s streets, parks and bike paths got some special attention from volunteers Saturday.
Thousands of people fanned out across eight communities to work on projects in Stanislaus County, taking advantage of the 68-degree weather and clear sky.
It was a day for showing pride in community, whether you called it Love Modesto, Love Turlock or Love Stanislaus County.
The kickoff for Love Modesto activities returned to downtown for the first time in three years, after the state’s COVID-19 measures restricted public events in 2020 and 2021. Now in its 14th year, Love Modesto held project days through the pandemic but returned to a single-day spring event for 2022.
“Isn’t it great to be back here,” said Jeff Pishney, chief executive officer and founder of Love Modesto, speaking at the kickoff rally. “I will never take that for granted.”
People set to work on 75 projects in Modesto, while a total of 160 projects were organized countywide. Ceres, Turlock, Keyes, Empire, Oakdale, Patterson and Waterford held their own volunteer days.
A team of volunteers in yellow vests made a sweep along McHenry Avenue. About 75 people broke into groups to clean up sections from the Five Points intersection to Orangeburg Avenue, from Orangeburg to Floyd Avenue, from and Floyd to Standiford Avenue.
“This is our community,” said Jerald Smith, who supervised a group of Save Mart employees. “(Save Mart has) been here since 1952. We have to show support.”
Some of the other efforts to beautify Modesto focused on the downtown streets and the Hetch Hetchy and Helen White Memorial walking trails. Other residents filled trash bags as they rode bikes, ran and hiked along the Tuolumne Riverside Trail.
Branden Picanso and his daughter, Hailee, were going to the Color the Skies Children’s Garden, a half-acre plot where organic produce is grown for people in need.
“We were looking for a project that’s family friendly,” Picanso said.
Another effort this year was a community car wash, where volunteers of all ages were washing police cars and fire service vehicles.
The 3-year-old son of Devonte Williams took a sponge to the side of a police vehicle and grappled with a hose to rinse.
“I chose this project because my son really loves police cars and ambulances,” Williams said. “He was talking about this since last night.”
At Glick Middle School in Empire, the service group HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) Ignited urged people to create “kindness rocks” to connect community members. The rocks with inspirational symbols and quotes were shared or added to the garden.
Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen presented a city proclamation declaring the last Saturday in April as Love Modesto Day in perpetuity. Pishney said the volunteer days in Modesto have also caught on with 100-plus other cities, including communities in southern San Joaquin County.
He said there’s a 10-year plan to take the Love Modesto concept to upward of 1,000 cities.
