SAN DIEGO -- The "Friends of Jahi Recovery Centre" is on its feet and the grandmother of missing 2-year-old Jahi Turner said Friday she has renewed hope of finding the boy.

MISSING JAHI TURNER Light-skinned African-American 30 pounds, 30 inches tall Black hair Wearing blue "Winnie the Pooh" T-shirt, blue pants, and gray tennis shoes INFORMATION SDPD Juvenile Hotline: (619) 744-9521 Tip Hotline: (619) 235-8477 Friends of Jahi Recovery Centre: (619) 266-3677 Download A Missing Flyer SOUND OFF Share Your Thoughts

"There is a renewed spirit. We had good tips and we passed them on to police, and we're waiting for answers," Penny Thompson told 10News. "I've asked God to bring him home for Mother's Day."

Thompson's splinter search group was formed in response to an announcement Monday by organizers of the original search group that they had exhausted their efforts.

That group, "The Jahi Search Center" -- based out of the Golden Hill Moose Lodge since April 28 -- said its more than 1,000 volunteers had scoured a nearly 20-square-mile area and passed out some 30,000 fliers before deciding to scale back efforts, 10News reported.

Thompson's search effort is based out of the Jackie Robinson YMCA in Mountain View. Although her effort was formed Wednesday, not a single volunteer was organized to search for the missing toddler until 1 p.m. Thursday.

By Friday, however, things appeared to running more smoothly, and Thompson was issuing a call for more volunteers.

"I need bodies," Thompson said. "We need more volunteers. I mean, this room should be packed. We have a 2-year-old who's scared; doesn't have his family. Why are these people not here?"

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Grandmother: Renewed Spirit In Search Call Goes Out For More Volunteers

Thompson (pictured, right) said she expected that around 300 volunteers would participate in Friday's search.

Susan Nixon is one of the volunteers and told 10News that the group was being driven by faith.

"We've been praying. We pray every day when we open up. Before the volunteers go out we pray," Nixon said. "I've just got a feeling that we're close. We're gonna find him, I know it."

Police said Jahi's stepfather, Tieray Jones, 23, left the child in a Balboa Park recreation area with a woman and two other children while he walked a few hundred yards to buy a vending-machine soda.

When he returned, his stepson was gone, along with the others, the man reported.

Jahi's disappearance, which investigators soon described as an abduction, prompted an all-out law enforcement probe and volunteer searches reminiscent of those carried out for 7-year-old Danielle van Dam in February.

Police have declined to address news reports that Jahi apparently was not where his stepfather said he was the day he went missing, or that Jones failed a lie detector test.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that police did not find the boy's fingerprints on recreation equipment in the playground off 28th and Beech streets, where Jones said they had been that Thursday.

The child's mother, Tameka Jones, 18, is a sailor who was at sea when her son disappeared. Her Navy commanders allowed her to immediately return to shore to help in the search.

Jahi is 2 1/2 feet tall, light-skinned African American who weighs about 30 pounds.

At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a blue "Winnie the Pooh" long-sleeve T- shirt, blue nylon pants with an orange drawstring and gray Michael Jordan tennis shoes, according to his stepfather.

Police urged anyone with information concerning Jahi's whereabouts to call the SDPD's Central Division "juvenile hotline" at (619) 744-9521, or San Diego County Crime Stoppers' anonymous tip service at (619) 235-8477.

The number for the Jahi Recovery Centre is: (619) 266-3677.