A months-long event involving more than 600 churches and service organizations countywide began Monday with a large gathering of church and civic leaders at Grace Point Church in Del Mar.
The Season of Service project culminates in September with the San Diego CityFest with Luis Palau, an event expected to draw thousands to Mission Bay Park.
The project arrives in San Diego after previous incarnations in Houston and Portland, Ore., among other cities. Season of Service highlights volunteerism and the idea of people helping others, all under a spiritual umbrella.
At Monday's gathering, church and service organization leaders launched the project, which is expected eventually to involve more than 25,000 volunteers, including some 400 churches in North County. Season of Service is called the largest collaborative volunteer effort in the county's history.
The event is the invention of evangelist Palau, founder of a worldwide ministry reaching millions around the world through books, a radio program and personal appearances. In each Season of Service, volunteers work on projects involving different themes. In the San Diego County event, the themes are homelessness, hunger, schools, military, and mentoring.
"There's much good work being done in San Diego already, and Season of Service helps bring everyone's projects and ideas together," said San Diego CityFest Director Chris McFarland. "It's about uniting the region in common goals."
Rancho Santa Fe resident Ty Miller, one of the project's coordinators, said that with so many different industries in the region, and with so many different churches and service organizations involved, there is a wealth of talent and resources.
Tyler said the military aspect of the project is important for San Diego.
"There are a lot of military families hurting in our region, and that's not a religious or political issue," Miller said. "The issue is to help people who are in need."
Community leaders, such as Escondido-based motivational speaker Ken Blanchard, asked church and organizational leaders to embrace the opportunities during Monday's gathering.
"We are excited about the opportunity to make this the city of light," Blanchard told the audience. "Everybody works together to solve problems and help each other. We need to pull all of the energy together."
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors declared 2010 the official Season of Service, and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders addressed the crowd.
"The community gets stronger when people see each other taking care of each other," Sanders said.
Season of Service involves several higher-profile events designed to highlight service and volunteerism. The first of these is an April event bringing awareness to homelessness. The event, Sleepless San Diego, happens April 24-25 at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Sleepless in San Diego has happened for several years ---- many longtime volunteer projects organized by churches are integrated into Season of Sharing.
Other "high-impact" events include neighborhood food fairs on May 22, a mentoring event June 19, a military event July 17, and a school beautification project on Aug. 21. The project culminates in San Diego CityFest, a free festival Sept. 11-12 at Mission Bay Park, with entertainment by top contemporary Christian artists, action-sports demonstrations, a family fun zone and other activities.
Past festivals in other cities have drawn from 200,000 to 800,000 people.
More information on the project can be found at www.sandiegocityfest.com or by calling 858-523-1002.
