KING CITY — King City in Bloom has partnered with Sun Street Centers in order to continue beautification of the town with volunteers from both groups completing planting and weeding projects.
King City in Bloom had taken a break from maintenance and projects due to the Covid-19 pandemic-related shutdowns. The group is part of a national group called America in Bloom, and uses community action to complete cleanup and beautification projects.
With Covid-19 shutdowns still in effect, the group has found a way to complete projects with the limited number of volunteers they have on hand, along with help from Sun Street Centers.
“Part of the Sun Street Centers’ mission statement is that their clients give back to the community,” said Allie Cullen, chairperson of King City in Bloom. “We have experienced the fulfillment of that promise lately. Every time we have an area that needs tending, we have been able to call Sun Street for their help.”
Cullen said the partnership began when the Bloom volunteers realized they were low on manpower and reached out to Sun Street for help.
“We’ve had a dozen clients from Sun Street helping us out every Wednesday,” Cullen said. “It’s been awesome.”
The group has not held meetings since March, with communication going on via email, but Cullen said regular Wednesday projects have re-started.
“Hopefully we’ll have a Zoom meeting soon, but it’s been all emails,” Cullen said. “We’re trying to get our projects to not go away and stay beautified.”
King City in Bloom is always looking for volunteers, Cullen said, and anyone interested in helping can contact her at [email protected]. The group has a Facebook page, and Cullen encourages interested volunteers to get on the email list to stay updated on upcoming projects.
While Bloom looks to increase its membership, Cullen said the collaboration with Sun Street has been “great,” adding, “that’s what makes our community great, working together.”
The group only asks that volunteers bring their own work gloves suited for gardening and cleanup, and advises wearing long sleeves. Emails are sent out with details on what will be needed for each project.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own tools, but the group does have some equipment for those who are only able to show up with their gloves.
