Nine Clean-Up Events and Counting for Supervisor

MECCA – In less than three months, Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez has hosted nine community clean-up events in the Fourth District.

The clean-up events have been held in Thousand Palms, Indio Hills, Desert Edge/Sky Valley, Carver Tract, Mesa Verde, Bermuda Dunes, and North Shore. On Saturday, there will be two more of what have become signature events for the popular supervisor.

On Saturday, Perez will shepherd clean-up events in Ripley and Mecca.

He is not afraid of getting his hands dirty.

After this weekend, Perez will host two more community clean-ups scheduled for the unincorporated communities adjacent to the City of Desert Hot Springs.

Perez and his staff are constant figures at the clean-ups. He showcases them on his Facebook page as proudly as any campaign event. In campaign-style, he promotes them with banners and fanfare. This is business.

Clean communities are a source of pride for the supervisor as he involves entire communities around his efforts. He publicizes the clean-up events in both English and Spanish.

Perez is organizing an effort in Mecca on Saturday to clean up empty lots near the Catholic Church in Mecca and dispose of bulky waste items and tires.

The clean-up will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 6, in the parking lot of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mecca, 65-100 Dale Kiler Road.

Supervisor Perez initiated the clean-up after meeting with the Rev. Father Francisco Valdovinos-Ruiz, who saw the need for the clean-up to assist with concerns of illegal dumping on streets and lots throughout the community.

“Father Valdovinos-Ruiz has been active in efforts to improve the community since arriving to Mecca last year,” Perez said. “We are excited to partner with the church and create an opportunity for residents to take part and take pride in our community. Together, we will make a difference and beautify the community.”

Father Francisco Valdovinos-Ruiz said, “The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe is very thankful for the collaboration with Supervisor Perez and his staff for working with the Church to help the Mecca community.”

From 8 a.m. to noon, residents of Mecca will be able to bring their bulky waste to the Church for disposal. Free pick-up service is available to seniors and disabled residents who schedule it in advance.

Throughout the morning, youth from the Mecca Boys & Girls Club, Supervisor Perez’s staff, Youth Advisory Council students, and community volunteers will clean up areas in the vicinity of the Church and other lots with accumulated rubbish.

Volunteers are welcome to participate. To sign up, or schedule free pick-up assistance for seniors and disabled residents, please call Emma Fernandez at the Church at 760-396-2717 X112.

The clean-up is made possible through support provided by the Riverside County Economic Development Agency, Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mecca Boys & Girls Club, and the Riverside County Code Enforcement Department.

The event is sponsored in part by Supervisor Perez’s C.L.E.A.N. (Community Leaders Enhancing Area Neighborhoods) Youth Force program.

Perez represents the eastern two-thirds of Riverside County on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Stretching from Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs, south to the Salton Sea and east to Blythe and the Colorado River, the 4th District is the largest geographical district in the county.