Volunteers tackle a cleanup project at the Tenino Cemetery on Saturday.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members and other community volunteers do flower bed weeding and cleanup at the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library on Saturday.
As part of the “Widows Mite” program, the residences of 13 widows throughout Lewis County were cleaned up as part of the volunteer project.
On Sept. 10, nearly 400 volunteers gathered to address improvement projects in Centralia, Chehalis, Morton, Mossyrock, Oakville, Rochester, Tenino, Vader and Winlock. Through their efforts, various city and county facilities were updated, including parks, libraries, cemeteries, schools, community streets and the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.
In addition, 13 residences of widows throughout Lewis County received much-needed cleanup and landscape maintenance. This program, dubbed ‘Widows Mite,’ provided a variety of home and landscape efforts, including fruit harvesting, wood stacking, repairs to large appliances, pressure washing of home exteriors in preparation for painting, installation of carport and critter proofing of a foundation, driveway weeding and mowing, installation of deer fencing for a new garden area, removal of blackberries, flower bed weeding, gutter cleanout, window washing and roofing repairs.
Dedicating a day to serve began about 10 years ago in Lewis County with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2009, Congress set aside Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance for those lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
This is a day when individuals throughout the country would perform service for their communities. Ever since, Lewis County church and community volunteers have responded to the call to serve.
Kickoff breakfast gatherings for the service event were held in Chehalis, Rochester and Tenino. Volunteers were then dispatched to various community locations to complete a wide variety of projects.
Barbeque lunch events were held at Fort Borst Park in Centralia, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grounds in Chehalis and another larger group at the LDS Church Pavilion in Winlock for all community and church member participants and beneficiaries of the service performed.
Community and church members attending the Winlock BBQ were appreciative of the supplies and meat discount provided by Reichert’s Meats.
Additional projects included headstone and grounds cleanup at Tenino Cemetery, landscape maintenance at Oakville City Park and Fire Station, and grounds cleanup at Independence Park in Rochester.
Mossyrock’s downtown corridor received a landscape facelift and school crosswalks were repainted. Jubilee Park in Morton had new playground equipment installed. Tree trimming and leaves raking occurred in Centralia near the Borst Home located in Fort Borst Park.
Chehalis public areas received many improvements to parks, the library and downtown corridor areas. Flower bed weeding and landscape cleanup occurred at the Chehalis Timberland Library.
City parking lots B and C had landscape and debris cleanup performed. Walls, doors, restrooms and windows were washed along with floors mopped at the VR Lee and Hess buildings in Recreation Park. Chain saws were used to trim branches around the VR Lee and Hess buildings. Parking lot barriers at Stan Hedwall Park and three large metal gates at the Park and RV entrances were painted.
Southwest Washington Fairgrounds received grounds cleanup and horse barn maintenance. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also tested their ham radio emergency preparedness communication system at all Chehalis sites.
