A “Love Ceres,” the faith-based effort to organize a morning of volunteer projects, is fast approaching on Saturday, April 27.

The event is designed to demonstrate acts of love by helping others and tidy up the appearance of Ceres.

Brandy Meyer and husband Keith are chairing the event.

Because the Love Ceres website, loveceres.com, was temporarily down but now operational, sign-ups have been lagging. Meyer expects the majority of sign-ups to occur since signs and the page is now up.

Last year over 225 volunteers showed up for 14 projects around Ceres.

Twenty projects and the number of volunteers needed are as follows:

• Picking up trash along Central Avenue and Services Road, 20 needed;

• Beautifying Ceres Christian Terrace and visiting with residents, 10 needed;

• Beautifying downtown Ceres and the Community Center parking lot, 20;

• Painting at Blaker Kinser Jr. High School and staff appreciation, 24;

• Ceres Garden Club project, more details are coming, 20;

• Ceres High School project, more details are coming;

• Collecting donations for Ceres Partnership, 20;

• Helping with childcare and providing games for volunteers’ children at the Ceres Community Center, 10;

• Cleaning up walking paths along Ceres canals, 20;

• Helping Harvest Church members to collect donations for Davis Guest Home, 20;

• Washing police and fire department vehicles and ambulances 20;

• Cleaning up George Costa Baseball Complex in Smyrna Park, 20;

• Serving as greeters at the Love Ceres event, checking in volunteers and directing volunteers to project leaders, 12;

• Setting up awnings, tables, chairs, banners, signs and sound equipment for the Love Ceres kickoff party, 10;

• Making cards for military veterans, 20;

• Cleaning up the Ceres River Bluff Regional Park and its lower terrace near the river, 50;

• Cleaning up the soccer fields at the Ceres River Bluff Regional Park, 25;

• Raising awareness and funding for families which have suffered from domestic violence. The project is led by the Soroptimist International of Ceres and 50 are needed;

• Cleaning up the skate park at Smyrna Park and painting over graffiti, 40 needed;

• Doing yard work for seniors and the disabled, 20.

Volunteers will gather at Whitmore Park at 8 a.m. for a free breakfast, kickoff party and receive direction on work assignments which will begin at 9 a.m. Breakfast food will be provided as well as Starbucks donating coffee, before the work begins.

The park will also be set up with informational booths by non-profit groups and the SWAT team and fire department information dispensed.

A hotdog and chips lunch will be provided afterward by the Rotary Club.

“We want everybody to try to come back to the park so that we can confirm the projects are completed, what if anything did not get finished, what needs to get finished, people can turn in their equipment and they can grab lunch.”

Child care will be offered to volunteers with children who are toilet trained at the Ceres Community Center.

Coinciding with Love Ceres, the downtown Ceres fire station will be giving tours provided there are no calls requiring trucks to roll.

Earlier this year Meyer asked for city sponsorship and a donation like last year, reporting that the “Love our Cities” efforts in Stanislaus County do not have as much funding as in past years. The sponsor who helped provide Love Ceres T-shirts is not available so the committee must buy them.

Supporting the “Love Ceres” get off the ground is the “Love Stanislaus County” group with inclusion on its website.

Anyone with questions may email Brandy Meyer at meyercprandfa@aol.com.

Jeff Pichney of Big Valley Grace started Love Modesto and it was spread to Ceres in 2011 partially through the efforts of Bryan and Becki Nicholes.