Community wide event mobilizes thousands with projects, food drive, and donation efforts across the city
FOLSOM — On Saturday morning, thousands of residents will roll up their sleeves and get to work improving their city. The 12th annual Folsom Community Service Day takes place September 20, uniting volunteers of all ages for a sweeping day of projects, collections, and civic pride that has become one of Folsom’s defining traditions.
By sunrise, parking lots and park sites across the city will be buzzing with activity. Families, scout troops, service clubs, and students will gather in matching T-shirts, pick up gloves and tools, and head out in small teams to schools, trails, parks, and neighborhoods. Trailers will haul equipment, while food drive volunteers in every neighborhood prepare to make their rounds. It is a sight that has repeated itself each September for more than a decade, growing larger each year as more residents join in.
What began in 2014 with just a few hundred participants has grown into a citywide operation that now mobilizes more than 1,500 people each year. Since its inception, Community Service Day has engaged more than 23,150 volunteers to complete more than 1,050 projects. Together, they have collected more than 645,000 pounds of food for Twin Lakes Food Bank, repaired and maintained over 620 homes for seniors, restored nature preserves, trails, and parks, and beautified schools, libraries, and the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. The event has also produced thousands of care packages for active-duty military service members and collected donated bicycles, eyeglasses, pet supplies, toiletries, and holiday gifts for local nonprofits. It is a record unmatched by any other single-day volunteer event in the region.
Registration opened back in August, but as the big day approaches many more volunteers are still needed in critical areas. The most urgent need is for Neighbors Helping Seniors, which requires about 80 additional volunteers to assist older residents with yardwork and small household projects. Spots are also available for the Hinkle Creek Nature Trail Clean-Up, ladder-fuel removal at Lembi Park, the Folsom Ranch White Rock Trail Clean-Up, and Tree TLC on East Natoma Street. Other projects with openings include BT Collins Park disc golf course improvements, landscape cleanup at Natoma Station, PSVRR rail equipment cleanup, painting at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, landscaping at The Bridge Community Church, and work on the Twin Lakes Food Bank garden shed. The citywide food drive is also still seeking helpers and drivers to collect and sort donations.
By 9 a.m. Saturday, volunteers will be spread across dozens of sites — from schools and parks to neighborhoods and nonprofit facilities — working under team leaders with supplies and assignments in hand. Within a few hours, their combined efforts will leave visible improvements across the community. A major part of the tradition has been youth involvement. Folsom Cordova Unified School District projects, which opened earlier this month, have given student groups, sports teams, and clubs the opportunity to join in. Many school campuses will see painting, cleanup, and landscaping work, while students also play a key role in collecting and sorting food donations. For young residents, Community Service Day has become both a way to contribute and a practical lesson in civic responsibility.
Food Drive Anchors the Day
The food drive for Twin Lakes Food Bank is one of the anchors of Community Service Day and one of its most impactful elements. Last year, the effort brought in more than 56,000 pounds of food, and the goal this year is to surpass that total to help more than 18,000 families who rely on the food bank annually. In the week leading up to the event, volunteers distributed grocery bags and wish lists to doorsteps across the city. On Saturday morning, teams will return to collect the bags left in view of the street by 8 a.m.
The food drive has grown into a lifeline that helps carry the food bank through the holiday season. The variety of items collected on Community Service Day — everything from cereal and canned chicken to pasta, sauce, and vegetables — is exactly what is needed to fill pantry shelves with healthier staples. In past years, the effort has not only provided food but also raised awareness about local hunger, inspiring many volunteers to stay involved year-round.
Donation Drop-Off at Lakeside Church
In addition to the food drive, Lakeside Church will serve as the hub for an extensive donation drop-off from 8 a.m. to noon. Residents can drive through and contribute to a wide array of causes. Bicycles will be collected for refurbishment at Folsom State Prison and redistributed to families in need. The Folsom Host Lions Club will gather eyeglasses for the Vision Project, providing new life to used frames. Yarn and fabric donations will support the Hooks N Needles program at Folsom Prison, where inmates craft blankets, scarves, and toys for charities. The Happy Smiles Toy Drive will accept new toys for children of all ages, from stuffed animals and coloring books to Lego kits, puzzles, Disney toys, and gift cards for teens. Julie’s Purse Project will collect new and gently used purses filled with essentials such as toiletries, feminine products, makeup, scarves, and gloves to support women facing hardship. Pet supplies will be collected for shelters, including Kong toys, canned pumpkin, peanut butter, cat food, scratchers, and blankets. Hygiene products and clothing will benefit Jake’s Journey Home, which supports unhoused veterans and residents in transition. Holiday gift wrapping supplies will be gathered for Powerhouse Ministries’ Christmas Around Towne program, and school supplies will be collected to support students in the Folsom Cordova Unified Families in Transition program.
Summary of Drop Off Donation Items
Bicycles (new or used) for refurbishment and donation
Eyeglasses (new or used) for the Vision Project
Yarn and fabric for inmate-crafted blankets, scarves, and toys
New toys for children of all ages such as stuffed animals, coloring books, Lego kits, puzzles, Disney items, and gift cards for teens
Purses filled with essentials including toiletries, feminine products, makeup, scarves, and gloves
Pet supplies including Kong toys, canned pumpkin, peanut butter, cat food, scratchers, and blankets
Hygiene products and clothing such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, razors, socks, underwear, jeans, and T-shirts
Holiday gift wrap supplies including paper, bows, ribbons, and gift bags
School supplies including notebooks, binders, pencils, pens, markers, and backpacks
For residents, the drive-through has become a hallmark of the day, offering an easy way to contribute even if they cannot join a work crew. In past years, lines of cars have stretched around the church parking lot, with families dropping off boxes of food, toys, and supplies, creating a sense of energy and celebration that rivals the projects themselves.
Blood Drive at Fire Station 35
For those who want to give back in another way, Vitalant will host a community blood drive from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Folsom Fire Station 35 on Glenn Drive. Blood donations remain in critical demand across the region, and the drive provides an opportunity for residents to directly support hospitals and patients. Each donation can save up to three lives, and Community Service Day has become one of the most reliable annual boosts to the local blood supply. Donors must be at least 16 years old, weigh 110 pounds, and bring a photo ID. The entire process takes about an hour, and all participants will receive a Vitalant T-shirt.
Community Service Day is organized by the City of Folsom in partnership with local nonprofits, churches, service groups, and businesses. The 2025 event is presented by Dignity Health, with Visionary Sponsors Lennar, Folsom Times, Lakeside Church, and The Folsom Telegraph. Leader Sponsors include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Goodfellow Bros., and the Rotary Club of Folsom. Partner and Good Neighbor Sponsors include Habitat for Humanity, Elliott Homes, Kikkoman, Palladio, Micron, the Folsom Police Foundation, UC Davis Health, Kaiser, SMUD, Choose Folsom, and many others.
While the day is about projects, donations, and collections, its larger impact is about unity. Neighbors work side by side, students join parents and grandparents, and families take pride in doing something together that benefits their entire city. Over the years, the sight of thousands of people in matching shirts dispersing across Folsom has become a familiar one each September — and a reminder of how one day of service can transform both a community and the people who give their time.
Residents can still register to volunteer, set out food donations by 8 a.m. Saturday, contribute items at the Lakeside Church drive-through, or donate blood at Fire Station 35. Full details and project registration are available at www.folsom.ca.us/communityserviceday.
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