Approximately 130 volunteers of all ages fanned out all over Ceres to spread a little love in the annual “Love Ceres” event Saturday morning.
The faith-based organization of work projects is designed to demonstrate acts of love for others, foster the spirit of caring and volunteerism and improve the condition of the community.
Brandy Meyer and husband Keith spearheaded the event again this year and noted the numbers of volunteers had dropped from the 200 average normally sign up in past years.
“But the 130 volunteers that we had were really hard workers and so they did get a lot of stuff done,” commented Brandy Meyer.
The event began with an 8 a.m. kickoff event at Whitmore Park where free breakfast burritos were provided courtesy of the Ceres Lions Club. Free coffee was offered by Starbucks, and bottles of water courtesy of Meyer CPR & First Aid. Free donuts were provided by Rep. Adam Gray’s office.
After a short rally where music, games and raffle prizes were offered, volunteers went on their way to various projects.
At a table set up near the Whitmore Park gazebo, Nick and Cerina Otero and Destiny Condit were busy writing cards of encouragement to military veterans.
At least two projects were cancelled – that of painting house numbers on curbs and the cleanup of hot spots – for the lack of project leaders. However, Ceres City Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra did paint some curbs on her own.
Members of the Ceres Rotary Club took lunches to volunteers at their project sites.
One group wrote cards of encouragement for incarcerated youth in Stanislaus County.
A small group was assigned to the Ceres Partnership facility on Grandview Avenue to assemble planters and paint 16 tires, line them with gardener’s cloth, fill them with soil and plant vegetables for children in various programs to learn about the science of plants and how they grow. Their final work will be a part of the center’s Hungry Caterpillar Garden.
Other volunteers were dispatched to two homes, one belonging to seniors Sue Reynolds and to tend to help with yard work of a shut-in with health issues.
The biggest yard cleanup project was helping a Ceres man on oxygen and unable to do his own yard maintenance.
“His backyard was a jungle and four to six people went over to start on it and we had to pull in reinforcements,” said Meyer. “By the time they got partway done 25 people showed up to help get it done by the end of the day. It was crazy. His backyard was completely overgrown and you couldn’t even see the patio or the ground.”
Black Diamond Junk Removal & Hauling helped haul about 10 bags of green waste and garbage from the yards to three large waste bins at the Community Center donated by Bertolotti Disposal.
One group cleaned up downtown Ceres and the Ceres Community Center parking lot and landscaping areas.
“They said they’ve never seen so many cigarette butts in their lives,” said Meyer. “They definitely made a difference in downtown.”
Members of the Persephone Guild of Ceres replaced worn and tattered American flags with new ones for various residents and properly retired old flags.
Another group was busy painting benches on the Ceres High School campus. Across campus, others were cleaning up the softball fields.
A last-minute project –washing emergency vehicles at the downtown fire station – drew enthusiastic participants.
Childcare was provided for the families who wanted to volunteer but didn’t want to take small children to a project.
Meyer said that next year she would like to see new groups of volunteers established, saying, “The people who’ve been coming have been coming for the last five years.”
She also hopes to engage with the businesses like Dutch Bros and Home Depot which have volunteer programs. An infusion of new blood on the Love Ceres Committee is another goal to help draft more volunteers for the April 2027 event.
