LA MESA, Calif. — There's a group of moms and daughters, in East County, who have been volunteering thousands of hours in our community, every year, since 1968.
It's called SPRITES. It stands for Spiritual, Philanthropic, Recreational, Inspirational, Training, Educational, and Social.
Our own CBS 8's Jenny Day was a member of the organization from 7th grade to 12th grade and often hosts their annual gala. She said the girls today are still representing it well.
"I describe it as a great organization and a way for me and my mom to bond," Reese Hanks said, who is a senior at Valhalla High School.
"It's been really great. I love volunteering. I know I'm making a small difference," Natalie Muench said, who is also a Valhalla Senior.
They've spent time at each of the 20 charities, that SPRITES supports. "We have about 7,500 volunteer hours per year for all of SPRITES," Hanks said.
Reese says she connected most with Meals on Wheels. "Just seeing the smile on their face and having that one-on-one conversation because you know they can't really get out of the house, it just makes my morning better."
Natalie has felt a special connection with Father Joe's Villages.
"At first it was really sad, because I remember seeing a little boy, probably six years old - when we handed his plate of food to him, you could see he was so happy, and so grateful."
Today though, they were at the top of Mount Helix. "We are planting native and sustainable gardens," Muench said.
The outdoor nature theater in La Mesa has a rich history.
"We're the second longest running sunrise Easter service in America, which is very exciting," Krista Powers said, who is the Executive Director for the Mount Helix Park Foundation, she also happens to be a former SPRITE.
The sunrise Easter service has been happening since 1917. The Park was established by a local family in 1925.
"He had [a] vision for Mt Helix, saw the height, beauty, 360 views and put a wooden cross at the top. They wrote a very specific trust of everything, for example, it needs to remain free to the public, can't change how it looks and no advertising," Powers said.
"We don't receive any government funding, not a dime. So everything that makes this happen is donors in the community, business sponsors and volunteers are the heartbeat," she added.
"We always need people, any day of the week, we'll fit your schedule. The second Saturday of the month, we have a volunteer morning from 9 to noon."
Like myself and so many others, these volunteers are learning at a young age, the value of lifelong commitment to community service.
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