Love Modesto

How do you "love" a city?

You get up very early and do a project to make life better for someone.  On Saturday I volunteered for Love Modesto.  The day started downtown at 8:00 am when we met for activities, music, fun and continued with a short rally at 9:00 am.  As I looked at the faces around me in the crowd, I saw pride, happiness and compassion.  We were working together to make our city better.  After the rally all the volunteers left to do what they signed up to do.  

The movement was started by a church that asked,  "Why is our city on lists of worst cities in America?"  There were 1200 people who volunteered the first year in 2007.  They showed up to love their city in practical ways, like feeding the homeless, sprucing up the parks, talking to homeless people and so many more projects.  Since that first Love Modesto, more than 145,000 volunteer hours have been donated.  

Every year there are more projects to choose from, and they accommodate different ages and abilities.  Every year I choose a new activity.  Throughout the years I have put together chemo care packages, made pillowcases for veterans and injured soldiers, written letters and designed cards for our hometown soldiers, served hotdogs at Family Justice Center, baked and delivered cookies to police and firefighters.  This year I signed up for Dale Commons which was honoring seniors and veterans with a breakfast and lunch.  I am thinking of painting over graffiti next year.

Other LOVE movements have been started also:

• Love Our Neighborhoods
• Love Our Schools
• Love ALL Our Kids
• Love Our Families
• Catalyst Modesto

Forty more cities have joined the tradition and the website for Love Modesto says, "This is our hope and prayer...renewed pride in our cities, ongoing volunteerism and communities transformed."

As I reflect on the day I spent with my daughters, loving Modesto:

• I am proud of what we are accomplishing by participating.  
• We had fun, talked about family values, and served with compassion.  
• I am proud of what our city has done, by working together.
• I am thankful for all the volunteers who shared their time.
• I have hope for our city.

We can all make a difference. 

Change the world. 

Find a way.