Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach look ahead to day of community service

A decade of dedication to the idea of giving back locally will come to fruition later this month, when the communities of Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach will see dozens of projects carried out by hundreds of volunteers.

The 10th annual Community Service Day, sponsored by the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 20.

Most of the planned projects should be completed between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon. Organizers were at the Fountain Valley City Council meeting Tuesday to appeal to community members to get involved.

“The purpose really is to bring community together,” Jynene Johnson, board president of the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council, said during a presentation. “The service that we do is great, but it doesn’t really matter how much service you can give with your hands, which is great. It benefits people and things, but we really want to see the community come out and work and serve together, and meet new people and make friends.”

Johnson said about 40 projects will be available for the public to participate in. Those interested in signing up should visit communityserviceday.org.

Available projects include community cleanup, a diaper drive, gardening and landscape work, habitat restoration, home improvements for senior residents, and packaging meals.

“Our vision is to have a single community day engaging all the diverse community members from all walks of life,” Johnson added. “It motivates volunteerism, increases civic pride and inspires service with future generations.”

Volunteers who sign up will receive a tote bag and a wristband for a free lunch at a picnic following the event. There will be entertainment at the picnic, which will take place at the Huntington Beach Bandstand from noon to 3 p.m.