Largest Group Yet Joins in 'Menifee Better Together'

Volunteers filled the auditorium at the Sun City Civic Association in preparation for Saturday's Menifee Better Together event. Photo courtesy Scott Mann via Facebook

Hundreds of residents gathered together Saturday morning in the biggest Menifee Better Together event yet, performing volunteer work to clean up yards of residents in Sun City and a park in Quail Valley.

Now in its fourth year, this event has grown into one of the biggest volunteer efforts in the area. What started as an outreach program by local wards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has evolved into a project involving city employees, volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and other volunteers from throughout the city.

Volunteers gathered in Webb Hall at the Sun City Civic Association to receive their instructions and assignments before heading out to various locations. Participants worked on 40 homes of seniors in the Sun City core area, trimming bushes, weeding, doing exterior house work and a variety of other projects.

At the same time, other volunteers performed cleanup at Kabian Park in Quail Valley. Volunteers included active duty sailor and marines from Camp Pendleton.

Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, one of many individuals and companies donating to the cause, toured some of the homes with city officials.

"Every year, it gets bigger," he said. "More and more people are willing to help. We have probably 100 more people than we had last year.

"These residents used to take care of them homes and yards, but they're older now. When they first look at things, they say, 'Why do we need help?' But when they see what a little bit of help can do, they are so grateful."

Ashley said the County Supervisors are working on a $5,000 grant for the 5th District to help with this project in future years.

Lesa Sobek, Menifee City Council member and a member of the Menifee Interfaith Council, also acknowledged the increased participation this year.

"We have a lot of local businesses involved that weren't before," she said.

Key business supporters included Accurate Leak Plumbing and LCL Realty. Bill Ferrise, owner of the Arco AM/PM and soon-to-be Archibald's restaurant at Newport Road and Menifee Road, donated T-shirts for the volunteers and drove from Orange County on Saturday to participate.

Volunteer workers and leaders of the Menifee Better Together program pause at one of the locations for a group photo. Menifee 24/7 photo: Kristen Spoon