'Weekend of Service' brings substantial improvements to six Fallbrook/Bonsall locations

Volunteers have had an ongoing, rich history of improving life in the Fallbrook area, but when hundreds of them converged on six local spots the weekend of April 25 and 26, it was awe-inspiring.

"[Our] 2015 Weekend of Service was a huge success," said Steve Diersing, executive director of North Coast Church's large-scale community service event. This marked the fifth time since 2007 that the church has selected one weekend to suspend all its services at its four locations and have members focus strictly on community service.

The church and its members/volunteers provided over $2 million in labor and improvement projects

at 119 locations throughout North County that included locations in Fallbrook, Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Marcos, and Escondido.

"The event mobilized 12,000 volunteers," said publicist Jenna Sampson.

"We completed over 600 individual site improvement projects [over the 119 locations]," said Diersing.

In Fallbrook/Bonsall, project sites included: Rider's Field, Foundation for Senior Care, Fallbrook Child Development Center, Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center, Bonsall High School, and Fallbrook High School.

In other North County locations, sites included hospitals, city parks, veteran and senior housing, community centers, homeless shelters, and more.

Improvement projects ranged from landscape cleanup to complex construction including re-roofing and concrete pours.

Preparing for the Weekend of Service was no small task. "The planning process takes about 12 months, especially with schools, since so much communication is needed."

The organizations that received assistance and improvements this year have expressed their appreciation.

"Most of the time we are told that they are amazed how much we were able to accomplish in a short period of time," said Diersing. "Essentially the weekend of works consists of 16 hours. We break it down into four, four-hour shifts over the weekend for our volunteers."

The six local entities that received improvements this year (followed by the names of their project managers) in Fallbrook included the Foundation for Senior Care (Jim Loge), Rider's Field (Vince Joseph), Fallbrook Child Development Center (Dan Beal), Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center (Frank Brock), and Fallbrook High School (Ned Mervich). In Bonsall, Bonsall High School (Chris Jones) received significant help as well.

At the Fallbrook Foundation for Senior Care (an organization that provides three invaluable programs and resources for local seniors), executive director Dotty Metcalf said she was extremely grateful.

"The one word I used all weekend during North Coast

Church's Weekend of Service was 'amazing!'" said Metcalf.

Metcalf said the church did a drought-tolerant revamp of over 12,000 square feet of grass and replaced it with mulch and drought-tolerant plants.

"Our water bills will be cut by 75 percent, allowing us to put that savings into programs," she explained. "Sidewalks were jack-hammered and replaced for the seniors' safety. Fences were replaced and painted. Our gazebo was painted as well as railings and beams on the day care center building." Metcalf called the new carpet installed in the Pittenger Building "the icing on the cake."

"The Foundation for Senior Care could never have accomplished all that was done this past weekend in a year," emphasized Metcalf. "The cost savings to the Foundation from this weekend was easily in the $40,000 range."

Reva Reece, executive director of the Fallbrook Childhood Development Center said she was impressed with the work of the volunteers.

"We are most grateful for everything they did," said Reece. "There were probably 200 volunteers who helped do all the work here. We had no expense at all. We can't thank them enough."

At the center, volunteers prepared a garden; painted and repaired the outside of two buildings, built a new shade structure, built four new picnic tables, and installed a new ADA access ramp to the children's playground.

"They completely removed the old ramp and have constructed a concrete ramp," explained Reece. "We used to have to replace the wooden one every year, but the new one will be there forever. It will also have wrought iron railings. This was a big job."

At the other sites, work completed was just as significant. At Rider's Field, volunteers trimmed landscaping, removed brush, replaced a concrete slab, reworked a main water line, improved an arena's footing, installed vinyl horse fencing, built a new patio cover, and more.

Bonsall High School received substantial help as well: landscape was revamped and improved; walking paths were created; handrails, stucco retaining walls, and metal umbrellas were repainted; benches were built; two murals were installed depicting the campus' two mascots; and a bulletin board in an outdoor display case was added.

At the Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center, volunteers painted the exterior eaves on the building and primed and painted five doors, a bathroom, and an office. Substantial cleaning was done, including carpets and furniture. Window treatments were hung and a heavy duty cart was assembled.

Fallbrook High School received a new concrete stage in its amphitheater; new bench seats for the baseball stadium; a new sign was installed for the Bob Burton Performing Arts Center on Stage Coach Lane; the landscape was cleaned up and new plantings including trees were added; numerous items around the campus were repainted; and concrete was patched at various areas around campus.

Rod King, principal of Fallbrook High School, said, "I can't even begin to thank everyone at North Coast Church for their involvement here at the high school during their Weekend of Service. It speaks volumes about community involvement. Ian Guajardo, our facilities director of maintenance and operations said it best, 'The work that was performed made a huge difference in the appearance of the campus.'" King said he also wanted to thank the school's maintenance staff for the support they gave to the North Coast Church members.

Brent McFarland, who oversaw five of the Fallbrook/Bonsall projects over the Weekend of Service, explained that the church's goal in doing such significant community outreach is to demonstrate a Christian example.

"We want to show people an example of us serving Christ,"

said McFarland, who has been involved in three of the church's

Weekends of Service, and served in a leadership position for two of them.

"It is successful because we all have a common love of God," he explained. "That's what it is about. It's kind of amazing the way things come together. People come together, money comes together, material comes together. It's amazing to see the dynamic. I've done a lot of nonprofit work, but what North Coast does with the number of people and how it happens, it's truly amazing how everyone pitches in."

Diersing also noted that the church does daily and weekly community service projects. "We have an ongoing program," he said.

Looking back on the hundreds of achievements over one weekend, North Coast pastor Chris Brown said, "It's a ton of work, but the reward is seeing how much we're able to impact our community in just one weekend. It's a great way for our church to be the church, instead of just go to church."

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