In the true spirit of neighbors, Davis resident Kimberly Schofield and her four children happily jumped into the cleanup project under way at Putah Creek Park in downtown Winters on Saturday morning.

“This kind of experience helps the children learn to identify themselves as part of a community,” Schofield said. “It fosters the understanding that we are all connected and need to maintain our community.”

The Schofields — along with nearly 400 people from Davis, Woodland, Dixon and Winters — were part of Mormon Helping Hands Day, an annual day of service organized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in hundreds of communities across the state.

“It is wonderful to think that today, more than 70,000 volunteers are doing service projects like this in communities across California and Hawaii,” said Bill Marble, a member of the Woodland City Council and chairman of the event for California and Hawaii.

“This is a great thing for California and the kind of thing communities everywhere can appreciate.”

Winters Mayor Pro Tem Cecilia Aguiar-Curry expressed her town’s appreciation for being the focus of this year’s efforts. Having lived in Winters for 54 years and never having had access to the Putah Creek until recently, she was thrilled at the work under way on Saturday to make the preserve more enjoyable not only for Winters residents, but for all those in the area.

“We are excited to experience this sense of community from all the churches in the region coming together for us and Putah Creek. It shows the importance of volunteerism,” she said.

“We especially appreciate the work of Mormon Helping Hands now, because it has so much impact on the rejuvenation of Putah Creek at this time.”

The Putah Creek Council, in collaboration with Yolo County officials and local LDS church leaders, organized the service projects. Many volunteers from various faiths and community service organizations also contributed to the effort.

Corey Cuvelier, president of the Woodland California Stake, which includes eight LDS congregations in Woodland, Davis, Winters, and Dixon, said, “Putah Creek serves as a valuable resource for thousands of people. This is a great way for us to come together, make a difference, and give back to our community.”

Under the guiding eye of Putah Creek Council’s executive director Libby Earthman and her staff, the Mormon Helping Hands volunteers did everything from cleaning up trash and removing invasive species to pruning bushes, planting trees and shrubs and installing post and cable fencing at a variety of sites.

Among the work sites were Winters Putah Creek Park, along Putah Creek Road a couple of blocks south of the city’s downtown; the Dry Creek area just outside Winters toward Lake Berryesa; Putah Creek Riparian Reserve; and at Nishikawa, between Winters and Davis on Putah Creek next to the bridge at Pedrick Road.

“Putah Creek is a natural treasure and an important water source for Yolo County,” said Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor, as he pulled on his own bright yellow MHH vest to join the effort. “Our work today is bigger than any one of us could do on our own and is the mark of a true community. We really appreciate the work that the Mormon Helping Hands volunteers are doing.”

In 2010, the Mormon Helping Hands group worked to revitalize eight parks in Woodland, then last year, the event included several projects with the city of Davis, Davis Joint Unified School District and Yolo Community Care Continuum.

The Mormon Helping Hands program is a worldwide program directed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was established in 1998 to provide service and disaster relief to those in need.

Volunteers wear the distinctive yellow Mormon Helping Hands vests when participating in humanitarian service projects and disaster relief efforts throughout the world.

You can help

What: Volunteers of all ages are needed to help in the Putah Creek Council’s native plant nursery; tasks include transplanting young seedlings into larger containers, weeding, organizing and cleanup; gloves, tools and supplies are provided

When: 6-8 p.m. every other Tuesday night, starting this week; upcoming events are May 15 and 29 and June 12 and 26.

Where: A nursery in South Davis; directions are provided to volunteers upon registration

Sign up: Visit www.putahcreekcouncil.org or call (530) 795-3006

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Kimberly Schofield and her children join in the cleanup project Saturday morning at Putah Creek Park in downtown Winters. From left are Aeneas, 6; Aurora, 9 (front); and Airlia, 10. Heidi Bay/Courtesy photo

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Elise Schofield, 8, helps trim a tree — under the watchful eye of her mother nearby — during the “Mormon Helping Hands” cleanup project Saturday at the Putah Creek Preserve. Heidi Bay/Courtesy photo

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