A homeless shelter in Simi Valley, Calif., will be getting a facelift with new electrical work, flooring, a patio and ceiling fans, from members of The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, April 25.

In Corona Del Mar, members of the church will rehabilitating the coastline and others through Los Angeles have partnered with city officials to clean up parts of the city.

These projects and others are part of a service day in Southern California, including about 75 stakes.

"The service day is allowing us to define ourselves to our neighbors," said Sonja Brown, the church's greater Los Angeles area public affairs director. "Our mission is to be of service."

Stake members have typically planned service days at least twice a year, but they haven't been coordinated to be on the same date, Brown said.

This service day was postponed from last fall, Brown said.

Other projects include cleaning up schools, food drives for food banks, helping out at senior citizens centers and providing manpower to help run other community events.

In the Newbury Park Stake, members from 4 years old on up are helping put on the Relay for Life event sponsored by the American Cancer Association.

Children 4-11 years old are helping make luminaries, the Young Men and Young Women are helping babysit, and the adults are helped with organizational aspects of the relay, said Sharon Kinney, public affairs director in the Newbury Park Stake.

Kinney said their stake picked this project because most stake members, including children, could participate.

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