In an effort to promote "volunteerism," First Ladies Michelle Obama and Maria Shriver kicked off a national community service campaign today (United We Serve) at the playground of Bret Harte Elementary School. But Obama wasn't just talk; she joined more than 500 local volunteers to redo the school's playground. The new kid-space will include "an edible garden that will have a farmer's market stand where kids and seniors can sell vegetables to raise money for the school," reports NBC Bay Area. The playground is is expected to be completed by 5 p.m. today. (Say what you will about the Obama administraion, you would never have found Laura Bush doing manual labor in the Bayview-Hunter's Point hood.)

Here are some scenes from today's construction.