COLTON>> On Sunday, April 30, about 70 members of the World Mission Society Church of God worked together to beautify Cesar Chavez Park. The Park is located in the city of Colton and offers recreational facilities such as playgrounds, a picnic area, basketball courts and a swimming pool for the residents of Colton.
Volunteers began working early in the morning to beautify the park. The work consisted of covering the benches and tables with a coat of fresh green paint and cleaning up the park. All the members showed up with great enthusiasm, their paint brushes and equipment, and gave the picnic tables a brand-new look. The city of Colton has previously partnered up with the Church of God to restore the appearance of the park, but the paint had started to chip and had been vandalized. The members were excited to once again restore the park for the families of the city of Colton.
“It’s amazing to see the unity amongst the members," Joanne Romero expressed. "I was so moved by how much joy and laughter there was while we were painting. I believe that in order to see change in the world, we have to be that change, and the members really displayed that.”
Residents of the city of Colton were happy that they were able to participate in the clean up as well.
“I’m very happy that the members of the church were able to come out and paint," Trishia Manzo explained. "They beautified our park, and now we have a graffiti-free park. Now it is a place that me and my family can fully enjoy. It feels more peaceful and safer without the graffiti.”
Also, Duyen Tran explained, “It’s so great to do something helpful for everyone. It made me feel productive, and I got so much more from this clean up event than I thought I would have. I loved it!”
Participation from both Colton residents and church members provided a sense of unity among volunteers.
“I was really happy to join this activity because it was my first volunteer work since I moved to Colton, and I had so much fun with the members from the Church of God,” Nhi Huynh said.
This event has been one of the many collaborative events between the city of Colton and the World Mission Society Church of God. Some of the previous events consisted of cleaning the Colton bike path, picking up trash along Mt. Vernon, conducting blood drives, revitalizing the home of elderly residents and providing disaster relief.
The Colton city council has previously recognized the faith group on numerous occasions with various acknowledgments and rewards for their volunteer services. They have even received the City of Colton Volunteer Service Award, which is given to organizations who make a positive impact in the community. The Church of God has also received medals, awards, and plaques from governments and organizations around the world. In celebration of receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the World Mission Society Church of God will continue the cleanup campaign worldwide.