SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Volunteers joined forces for Day of Service to benefit San Diego Center for Children, the city's oldest children's nonprofit. Crews worked to beautify its garden as well as paint curbs and sidewalks.
“It's a great way for independent living skills for our therapies to really get our kids out here and we love that the volunteers are sprucing it up for them,” San Diego Center for Children Development Manager, Warren Johnson said.
United Way of San Diego brought in about 30 volunteers in an effort to give back to those in need and help give a boost to the children who visit. For the young visitors, it means they will have an opportunity to see the process of plants and produce come to life.
“So we have our garden out here and kids come out here from to do independent living skills…they come out here to do coping skills, to work in the garden to decompress,” San Diego Center for Children Assistant Director of Culinary Operations and Life Skills Services, Tina Reyes said.
It's a place dedicated to help children with mental health and educational services. For volunteers, helping out means making a difference.
“A lot of the stuff were doing today is just trying to spruce things up a little bit and clean up and kind of make things look a little nicer which you know is really for them so they can enjoy the place where they are at every day,” Volunteer, Stefan Katsampes said.
For other volunteers, they use their time to pay it forward.
“As we all like to say the children are the future so investing our time in the future is my way of paying back,” Volunteer Corey Williams said.
Volunteers worked hard in the scorching heat to clean up the weeds and leaves before lunch time. Despite the heat, helping out means seeing the change this will make on children.
“I’m excited to think about when they come out here and see the work that's been done and you know understand that people care,” Volunteer, Courtney Singh said.
If you would like to learn more about San Diego Center for Children and ways to give, visit centerforchildren.org
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