It’s the final countdown to the day the community of Folsom will come together as one to make their city a little bit better, brighter, cleaner and safer, to name just a few of the many things that will get accomplished. The annual Folsom Community Service Day will celebrate its 11th year with thousands of volunteers taking on more than 65 combined projects between city projects from the trails and rails, to the parks, schools and more as well as projects which assist local seniors with tasks they otherwise may not be able to tackle.
Folsom’s Community Service Day fosters community stewardship and enhances the quality of life in Folsom by engaging our collective time, talents and resources to unite our community, identify and address community needs, and foster a culture of volunteerism and giving.
At Tuesday night’s Folsom City Council Meeting, city leaders and those in attendance reviewed a presentation by the 2024 Community Service Day Committee. Members of the committee, made up of representatives from city departments, the school district, local business and media owners and more, were also in attendance as the city kicked off the event as it does each year during the city council meeting just prior to the “big day.”
This year, the committee that’s been digging in to organize the event includes a group of individuals, some which have served previous years as well as new members, all whom were appointed to the position by the Folsom Parks and Recreation Department and are known to be dedicated to serving the Folsom community. The 2024 committee members include, Sandy Econome, Committee Chair; Tom Hellmann and Derik Perez, Co-Leads from the City of Folsom Parks & Recreation (P&R); Christine Brainerd, City of Folsom Communications; Ronni Lynn, Projects-Volunteers, City of Folsom Parks and Recreation; Ted Ocampo, Logistics, City of Folsom Parks and Recreation; Liz Vaage, Budget, City of Folsom Parks and Recreation; Jen Thiot, Sponsorship, City of Folsom Public Works; Mike Kozlowski, Mayor of the City of Folsom; Ashleigh Adams, SMUD; Mark Bahouth, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Alma Becerra, Kaiser Permanente; Sally Buchanan, Choose Folsom; Adam Frick and Bill Sullivan of Folsom Times; Jacob Cantu, Community Member; Stephen Costello and Shara Dzerigian, Century 21; Darnell Dumas, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento; Angela Griffin Ankhelyi, Folsom Cordova Unified School District; Lisa Hausmann, Dignity Health; Christina Hunt and Alisha Wilson, Lakeside Church; Greg Kiefer and Amy McBride, Community Members as well as former CSD chair Justin Raithel; Anthony Retodo M.D., Kaiser Permanente; Breanna Stambuk, Folsom Prison; and Brian Wallace, Parks & Recreation Commissioner.
Tuesday night, both Hellman and Econome took to the podium on behalf of the committee, several of which joined them, to present council members and those in attendance with an overview of what to expect across the city come September 21.
This year, volunteers have the option to choose from over 30 diverse projects, ranging from neighborhood cleanups and beautification efforts to support for local nonprofits, schools, and public spaces. Here’s just a few of those many projects where you can expect to busy volunteers donating their time, skills and labor on Saturday the 21st.
One of the cornerstone efforts is the Sierra Marlins Swim Team’s third annual food drive at the Folsom Aquatic Center, aiming to surpass last year’s donation of 877 pounds of food. Similarly, the Twin Lakes Food Bank is looking for volunteers to assist in receiving and sorting thousands of pounds of food donations from neighborhood pickups. In addition, a Donation Drive will take place at Lakeside Church to collect used eyeglasses for the Folsom Vision Project, providing much-needed eyewear to those who can’t afford it.
For volunteers interested in outdoor projects, the Folsom Disc Golf Club is hosting two major events at BT Collins Park: building a new wood-framed tee pad at Hole 7 and working on various course improvements, including moving rocks and spreading wood chips. School campuses are also getting a facelift, with mulch spreading planned at Natoma Station, Folsom High School, and Folsom Middle School, while the Kindergarten class at Carl Sundahl will see the construction of a second garden box and maintenance of the existing garden area. Over at Blanche Sprentz Elementary School, volunteers will help spread mulch and lay pavers to beautify the campus, which serves a significant population of students from low-income families.
One of the city’s largest collaborative efforts involves the Mercy Hospital of Folsom, where volunteers will work on renovating the garden with new drip irrigation lines, pathway aggregates, and additional plants. In a similar spirit, the Folsom VFW Post 6604 is leading a major hillside landscaping project at the Veterans Hall, involving erosion control, new plants, and an irrigation system.
Several other parks and public spaces are on the agenda for improvement. Volunteers will be painting the exterior fence at the Steve Miklos Aquatic Center and cleaning up the Cummings Family Bike Park, while the Folsom Pickleball Club tackles trash removal and the clearing of brambles at Lembi Park. Volunteers at Hinkle Creek will install two new kiosks and clear fallen branches in the oak woodland area. In downtown Folsom, volunteers will work with the Rotary Club of Folsom to plant daffodil bulbs along Historic Sutter Street, adding a splash of color to this beloved area.
In addition to these beautification projects, Journey Presbyterian Church is organizing a rock-removal initiative at a drainage swale along Blue Ravine Road, and volunteers will clean up Whiterock Road in south Folsom, an area littered with old city signage and debris. Meanwhile, residents can roll up their sleeves for hands-on activities like the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad’s cleanup and painting projects at the historic Railroad Superintendent House on Bidwell Street, or help paint sheds at parks throughout the city, including Davies Park, Lembi Park, Nisenan Park, Dan Russell Rodeo, and Kuntz Field.
Volunteers looking for a more personal touch can join the Rolling Hills Blue Star Moms to pack care packages for deployed military members, or participate in the Military Care Package Letter Writing event at the Folsom Public Library, where heartfelt letters of gratitude will be added to the care packages. Additionally, Girls Love Mail, organized by the Folsom Rotary Annes, will collect hand-written letters of encouragement for women diagnosed with breast cancer, to be distributed through cancer centers nationwide.
Public institutions will also benefit from this day of service. Volunteers will help clean and organize the Folsom Public Library, while others will work on restoring the stained-glass room at The Bridge Community Church, scraping, painting, and caulking to bring new life to the historic building. Volunteers will also paint storage sheds, repair steps, and trim trees at the church.
In another significant project, FOLFAN (Friends of Lake Folsom and Natoma) will lead a cleanup of Black Miner’s Bar at Lake Natoma, ensuring that the park remains a safe and enjoyable place for families. Volunteers are asked to bring water, gloves, and protective clothing as they help remove debris and restore the area to its natural beauty.
For those with a green thumb, volunteers will plant nine new trees between the Senior Center, Art Center, and Folsom Police Department Parking Lot, replacing tree stumps that were removed prior to the event. Additional tree planting and irrigation setup are expected to improve the overall look and environmental health of the area. Another special project will take place at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, where volunteers will renovate the playground, replacing bark, repairing structures, and ensuring it’s safe for children to enjoy.
Work will be taking place on a big scale at the Folsom City Zoo as well on Sept. 21 as members of the Rotary Club of Folsom join forces with longtime local roofing company Straightline Roofing and Construction to replace the badly damaged roofs of the facility’s ticket office and snack bar. This project is organized by the Rotarians together with the professional roofers to insure that industry professionals are those doing the heavy high lifting. (See related story).
Along with the aforementioned group projects and many more, individual volunteers or small groups of such will be scattered throughout the community helping local seniors in the “neighbors helping seniors,” aspect of Community Service Day. This year, a total of 29 different projects have been approved at various homes across the city.
While every project is important on community service day, one of the most important aspects of the day is the annual citywide food drive.This year, participation in that large scale food drive by the community is more crucial than ever.
The Twin Lakes Food Bank, a primary recipient of the food drive’s donations, is facing a 20% increase in families needing food assistance, while simultaneously experiencing a decline in food donations due to tough economic conditions. As a result, the food bank’s shelves are nearly bare.
“I have been here nearly seven years, and I have never seen the food bank’s shelves this empty,” said Lisa Tuter, executive director of Twin Lakes Food Bank.
The issue of empty shelves at Twin Lakes Food Bank. Food Banks is a classic case of demand outrunning supply which can be credited much in part due to the economy where more families need the help while so many are unable to help due to tight finances amidst inflation.
In preparation for the food drive, volunteers have spent the past few weeks delivering empty grocery bags to local doorsteps. Attached to the bags are instructions prepared by hundreds of volunteers at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A total of 31,000 bags have been distributed throughout the city.
On Sept. 21, a convoy of volunteers will pick up the filled bags from doorsteps and transport them to the Twin Lakes Food Bank, where another group of volunteers will sort the food for proper storage.
Last year, community members donated approximately 28- tons of non-perishable food to benefit the food bank. Despite the large quantity, the donations were distributed almost as quickly as they arrived, due to the growing demand for food assistance.
According to Tuter, the food bank’s most-needed items include cereal, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned ravioli, pasta and pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta or Rice-A-Roni, and instant mashed potatoes.
“If every Folsom household donates just one bag of groceries, it can feed Folsom’s hungry for one year,” said Tuter.
Although many volunteers are already working on the food drive, registration for Community Service Day is still open, with several other areas of need.
In addition to the Food Drive, several organizations are collecting needed items at Lakeside Church at 745 Oak Avenue Parkway on Sept. 21
Items collected for local community organizations include:
Bicycles for Children and Adults – Folsom State Prison will collect new or used bicycles. The bikes are refurbished and later donated to community members in need.
Glasses – The Folsom Host Lions Club will collect new or used eyeglasses for the Folsom Vision Project, which provides glasses to community members in need.
Yarn and Fabric – The Folsom Lake Lions Club will collect yarn to support the Hooks N Needles program at Folsom State Prison. Inmates crochet, knit, and sew a variety of items, such as caps, scarves, small blankets, and toys. The finished items are later donated to charitable organizations.
Happy Smiles Toy Drive – New toys for children of all ages are being collected for regional children’s hospitals, children’s homes, and nonprofits. Items collected include large puzzles (250-500 pieces), card games, squeeze toys/balls/fidgets, Squishmallows, Lego/Duplo kits, craft kits, and gift cards (Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Target, Amazon, Walmart).
Purses, Makeup, and Jewelry – Julie’s Purse Project will collect new and gently used purses, makeup, and jewelry to support women experiencing hardship and trauma.
Shelter Pet Supplies – Help animals in need at the Sacramento SPCA and Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue. Items needed:
- SPCA: Kong toys for dogs (L & XL are needed most), canned pumpkin, peanut butter (xylitol free), cat food (canned pate style), unopened dry dog food, cat toys, cardboard cat scratchers, kitten milk replacement formula (KMR brand), and meat flavored baby food (turkey, chicken).
- Homeward Bound: Dog toys, trash bags, poop bags, paper towels, dog cookie treats, pill pockets, and blankets (new and gently used).
Hygiene Products – Hygiene products for all ages and genders (shampoo, conditioner, facial wash, toothpaste, brushes, combs, soap, lotion, razors, shaving cream, etc.) are being collected for donation to Jakes Journey Home, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, community-based volunteer organization assisting unhoused veterans and community members in a lifepath change through wrap-around support services.
Christmas Gift Wrapping Supplies – Gift wrapping supplies – including rolls of wrapping paper, ribbon spools, bows, and gift bags, etc.— will be collected to support the Powerhouse Ministries Christmas Around Towne program.
Coats – New and gently used coats are needed to support homeless youth in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.
To learn more or register to volunteer to help some of the remaining projects in need, visit www.folsomcommunityservice.org.
This article is part of the ongoing series leading up to Folsom’s annual Community Service Day by Folsom Times, a Visionary Sponsor of the annual event in partnership with the City of Folsom.
