Amid pandemic, postponed Love Modesto brings out thousands to help in citywide cleanup
This year’s Love Modesto started without its traditional packed downtown rally, but people came out will full enthusiasm regardless for the annual city cleanup Saturday morning.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic meant the downtown kickoff was canceled, instead going online for a short live-streamed pep-talk from Love Modesto Executive Director Jeff Pishney. Some 3,000 volunteers came out Saturday morning to take part in 50 projects across the city.
This year’s event was postponed from its usual spring date in April because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants were required to wear masks, and gloves and other protective equipment was provided. The cleanup ranged from downtown beautification to park trash pickups and food drives. In east Modesto projects to clean trash from Dry Creek Park brought out several dozen volunteers.
Gabriela Saldana came with her daughters Giovanna and Gulianna Fornino, 13 and 10 respectively, to help clean the Hope Blooms Garden at the Monterosso Trailhead for Dry Creek. This was their first time volunteering for the annual event, now in its 12th year.
“We wanted to last year but weren’t able to,” she said. “I just think it’s a good thing for the community, especially in hard times like this with COVID. It feels good to be out and doing something.”
Pishney said part of the reason for continuing the event this year was to bring people together — albeit safely. He said in this divisive time, with elections around the corner, it is important to work with people from differing backgrounds.
“When you’re volunteering and you’re with with someone who might believe different than you or might have a different background than you or might have a different political bent than you...you get to know them you get to respect them,” Pishney said. “You get to appreciate them. And you get to know each other. That’s what we need and that’s why I’m so grateful for the difference that we all are (making) today in loving Modesto.”
Volunteer turnout still strong despite pandemic
Darin Jesberg, organizer of the Dry Creek Trails Coalition, led a group of 60 to 70 volunteers working to remove trash, debris and abandoned homeless encampments from the popular city park. He said they’re seeing the same number, if not more, volunteers this year despite the coronavirus crisis. His group has been active for 11 years and with Love Modesto the last six.
“I think people are looking for something to do, to get outdoors even though it’s kind of smoky,” he said. “I think people are looking for ways to get outside, enjoy time together as a family and we provide a way for them to do that.”
Pishney emphasized that Love Modesto isn’t about just one day. The organization has year-round programs it supports as well including the new Love Our Neighbors, a volunteer match-up project created at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in March. Others include the year-round Love Our Schools and Love Our Kids campaigns.
This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 1:13 PM.
