Merced gets some ‘Love’

Whether painting a fence, raking dry grass from an empty lot or picking up trash strewn throughout Merced streets, more than 600 people turned out Saturday to show Merced some love, according to organizers.

The twice yearly event Love Merced continued its cleanup, encouragement and service projects around the city. It offered an array of tasks for those ready to give their time.

Many of the volunteers came with groups, churches or clubs, including UC Merced students.

One of those students, Juana Barriega, worked with her peers to paint railings throughout the Merced County Fairgrounds. Barriega, who is originally from Santa Maria, said the students are members of Circle K International, the college level version of the Kiwanis Club.

“I actually enjoy helping out the community,” the 20-year-old said. “For me, personally, it’s better than sleeping in on a Saturday.”

Putting in a few hours of volunteer work, she said, gives her the feeling of “accomplishment.”

The fairgrounds was also the meeting place for all the volunteers, a first this year. It was also the first time the grounds accepted help from volunteers.

Nearly 30 projects happened simultaneously, including cleanup efforts at Gilbert Macias Park, Bear Creek and 16th Street’s bus depot, to name a few.

Some volunteers came to the event with co-workers. A handful of firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Station 85 raked and cleared debris from a vacant south Merced lot.

Edgar Tovar, a volunteer firefighter, cleared dry grass and picked up the trash and bottles that had collected in the H Street space. The 20-year-old said he wanted to clean the lot because of the potential for the debris to catch fire, but also to make the neighborhood look nice.

He said his Saturday morning was free so he had no reason not to volunteer.

Another firefighter, 34-year-old Scott Lawrence, cleaned that same lot with the help of his family. The three children raked and piled grass and trash into bags to later be hauled away.

“I’m trying to teach them to have a good heart and help the community,” he said.

Not far down H Street was another group, though this one was touching up a neighborhood park. The dozen or so people were members of Sound Life church in Merced, according to volunteer Jeremy Jenkins.

“It’s just a park that needed some TLC,” the 23-year-old said.

Some members rolled brown paint onto the fences and a bench in the park. Others picked up trash.

Love Merced is patterned, like many other efforts in the region, after Love Modesto. Similar events were planned in other cities in Merced and Stanislaus counties.

Back in Merced, still other teams roved Main Street, picking up garbage or volunteering to give a store owner a helping hand. One of those volunteers washed the windows of Cinema Cafe at North N and Main streets.

Owner Gerardo Olvera said he was happy to accept the offer. He’s witnessed Love Merced volunteers along the street before, he said, and appreciated the new effort to help store owners.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” he said, while standing behind a bustling breakfast counter. “They’re trying to keep the city clean.”

The fall version of Love Merced tends to have a smaller turnout than its spring counterpart, which has had twice the number of volunteers, according to organizers. The next Love Merced is April 18.

This story was originally published September 13, 2014 at 11:56 AM.