On this “Beautiful Day,” the rain held off just enough for a number of community service projects to be completed on April 30, thanks to volunteers from several local churches and Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County.
More than 100 volunteers were busy adding fresh coats of paint, freshening up landscaping, installing playground equipment and more as part of the fourth Beautiful Day in Sequim.
“We have new churches on board and they’re doing really well,” event coordinator Delores Hampton said.
“It’s bringing the community together … instead of doing our own projects.”
Participating churches included Sequim Valley Foursquare Church, Calvary Chapel of Sequim, Sequim Community Church and Dungeness Community Church. Lunch was provided by The Promise of Life Cafe, Costco Sequim and other volunteers.
Venues included Greywolf and Helen Haller elementary schools, Sequim Options School and Olympic Christian School, Sequim’s Boys & Girls Club, Carrie Blake Community Park, and the Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild’s thrift shop.
Efforts were bolstered by local businesses, including Rodda Paint (supplies and paint), The Home Depot (workers and materials for a school project) and Cascade Bark (60 yards of bark for various projects).
Rev. Rick Dietzman, Associate Pastor to Adults at Sequim Community Church, helped begin Beautiful Day with other organizers in California’s Silicon Valley in 2004, bringing together churches, businesses, civic organizations and schools to serve in their communities.
“Every school in the Santa Clara School District was blessed over many, many years,” he said. “It’s still going [and] they’ve got a million-dollar budget; it’s just huge.”
Dietzman helped spearhead Sequim’s own Beautiful Day in 2017 and late April’s efforts were the fourth; organizers took a two-year break during the pandemic.
“Our idea was to go and bless the schools of Sequim,” he said.
The first year focused on projects at Helen Haller and Sequim Middle School, and the event grew to more than 100 volunteers the following year, adding projects at Sequim Options School, Serenity House Square and Sunbelt Apartments.
2019’s efforts saw projects at Olympic Peninsula Academy’s new portables, Helen Haller Elementary, Sequim High School and the hospital guild’s thrift shop, as well as projects in Port Angeles and Port Townsend.
“Caring is contagious,” Dietzman said, quoting Beautiful Day’s motto.
“Our desire is to empower those we relate to in our church community, and already work alongside with in local organizations, businesses and schools, to get out and make a big difference in our area at least one weekend a year each April,” he said.
“We also actively encourage Beautiful Day volunteers to continue serving their communities throughout the year.”
Dietzman said there are plans to expand Beautiful Day into Port Angeles and Port Townsend in 2023.
“It’s a great way to be a loving presence of Jesus in the community,” he said.
Volunteers with Dungeness Community Church help with beautification efforts at Helen Haller Elementary School during the Beautiful Day event on April 30. Sequim gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim Community Church members freshen up the landscaping at Greywolf Elementary School during the multi-church Beautiful Day beautification efforts on April 30. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Volunteers with Sequim Valley Foursquare help freshen up the paint at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club on April 30. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
