Timm LaVelle and Dana Vaughan have organized Turlock Shines, a community clean up day set for this Saturday, October 4, 2008. Pick up trucks are still needed and anyone wishing to participate may still the organizers.
Turlock Shines is a volunteer project inspired by our centennial celebration and developed to unite the residents in Turlock in keeping our city safe and beautiful. We believe that as a united community everyone can make a difference! Recent increases in crime, violence, home foreclosures and unemployment have created concern and new challenges in our neighborhoods. Turlock Shines aims to offer an opportunity for all residents to get involved and volunteer in a safe and positive activity that is supported by The City of Turlock and the Turlock Chamber of Commerce.
This project will be a city-wide clean up day that will create pride in our city. We want to create a project that reflects the population of our city and is welcoming to all clubs, groups, organizations, businesses and residents. This project will also help to showcase how various city programs and services can all be a part of the solution to our economic and social challenges.
Organizations were asked to build volunteer teams to come out and get involved in this exciting and worthwhile opportunity.
What: City wide clean up day – Saturday Oct 4, 8 a.m. – Noon: Teams have been assigned to locations in Turlock and work to clean up that area. Clean up will include removal of trash, brush, and graffiti/tagging identification.
Where: Start at Donnelly Park with a light breakfast and send off by City Officials. Clean up teams will then drive to their assigned clean up sites throughout the city. Turlock Shines, Turlock Police Department Community Services, and Turlock Parks will have staff available at the park and throughout the city to provide support to teams throughout the day.
There will be information booths (Teen Action Council and Neighborhood Watch) and activities (refinishing the Donnelly play structure and a youth mural painting project organized by the Turlock Arts Commission) for kids/families at Donnelly Park during the hours of the clean up project. Park activities will offer fun for residents and their children who are unable to participate in a clean up team but want to be involved in the day. All of the events of the day will set a great example for our children regarding the importance of volunteerism.
How: Turlock Shines has assigned teams to clean up sites previous to the Oct 4th date. Organizations have requested and been given specific sites that they will clean up.
Guidelines for teams: Participants in clean up teams are 16 years or older. Each team made up of 4-10 people has been required to have an assigned group leader that has attended either one of two short training sessions to be held in September. Turlock Scavenger has generously offered to sponsor the cost of garbage drops from our program that morning. We have asked that each team provide: a pick up truck or similar vehicle, cordless weed eater, tools (rakes, shovels, brooms, clippers), sturdy trash bags, and sturdy gloves for each participant. The Turlock Police Community Services, Turlock Parks, and Turlock retail donors have provided a limited number of supplies for teams that need assistance with the required supplies. Turlock Shines have helped teams coordinate this effort.
We realize this project is ambitious but we know that our citizens will choose to rise to the challenge and invest their energy in a unified and beautiful Turlock. In these tight economic times, we hope to show that a community project can accomplish a lot with limited resources through participation and hard work.
Anyone who is willing to donate their time and/or truck to help make trips to Turlock Scavenger, please contact Timm or Dana.
Timm LaVelle, Dana Vaughan,
209-634-8183 209-668-3875