Rocklin wards awarded for service
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ROCKLIN, Calif. — Volunteer service by members of the Church in Rocklin, Calif., has been a boon to the community for several years. USA Weekend, a weekly national newsmagazine, took notice in its issue of April 17. Rocklin's several wards were recognized with the publication's Newspaper Award in conjunction with national Make a Difference Day.
Winning one of 514 awards given to volunteer groups around the country, and the accompanying two-line mention in the magazine, thrilled participating Church members, said Bishop Dean R. Bender of the Rocklin 3rd Ward.
The award was the result of work done during last October's Make a Difference Day, but such volunteer service by the Church goes far beyond that, Bishop Bender pointed out.
What he calls "a wonderful relationship with the community," formally began with President Gordon B. Hinckley's call for community service to be part of the Church's sesquicentennial celebration in 1997. Since installing 2,000 feet of sprinkler pipe and a complete sprinkling system by July 24th, the wards of Rocklin have built a tradition of service.
First, Bishop Bender said, the projects were moved out of the heat of summer to April. Then a second project was added a few years ago to coincide with the national Make a Difference Day in October.
"We have hundreds of volunteers out each year," he said. They come from what are now six wards of the Rocklin California Stake located in that city. He noted that other wards in the stake outside of Rocklin do service in their communities as well.
Service over the years, according to Bishop Bender, has included spreading ground-cover bark in parks, cleaning out creeks and planting trees. One year, after the city was given several wooded acres for a park, the Church volunteers went in and picked up five dumpsters full of trash and debris.
Working on a project called Mercy Housing, the Rocklin Church units joined the city and other volunteer groups to build eight houses for low income families. Bishop Bender said the Church provided by far the most volunteers.
He said that there is excellent cooperation between the Church and the city. He noted that Rocklin civic leaders have given recognition generously for the help the Church volunteers give.
"We're just good members of the community," Bishop Bender concluded.
E-mail to: ghill@desnews.com
