The City of Folsom has been recognized by the State of California for its long successful Community Service Day. The annual citywide day of philanthropy brings thousands from the community together to volunteer on various projects throughout the city.
The California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS) has presented Folsom Community Service Day with its Recreation and Community Program Award. The CPRS chose Folsom for the honors, recognizing the decade-long tradition of volunteerism just as the Folsom Parks and Recreation Department kicks off the planning process for the 2024 event.
More than 1,800 volunteers took part in the 10th annual Community Service Day in September of 2023. Volunteers of all ages completed 34 community projects, helping to beautify parks, trails, and schools; assembled care packages for active duty military service members; collected and sorted food donations; and assisted local nonprofit organizations. Dedicated volunteers also completed 71 projects for the Neighbors Helping Seniors initiative, helping to complete a variety of repairs and outdoor tasks for many thankful senior residents.
Folsom residents generously contributed to the Community Service Day donation drives, including: 28 tons of food for the Twin Lakes Food Bank; 35 youth and adult bicycles to be refurbished for community members in need; 1,000+ toys for the Happy Smiles Toy Drive; 2 truckloads of pet supplies for the Sacramento SPCA and Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary; over 400 pairs of eyeglasses for the Folsom Vision Project; over 45 bags of yarn and fabric for the Hooks N Needles program; over 99 purses for Julie’s Purse Project and a variety of other needed supplies for local nonprofit organizations. During its entire 10-year run, Folsom’s annual Community Service Day has welcomed over 20,000 volunteers.
During the decade run, it has collected 590,000 pounds of donated food and thousands of donations for military members and local nonprofits. Altogether, over 930 projects have been completed through the years as well as more than 570 repairs made to the homes of local seniors on the single day over its ten-year span.
Early planning is just getting underway for the 2024 event which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21. Community Service Day takes months of planning by the Folsom Parks and Recreation Department and the Community Service Day Steering Committee. Those interested in joining the cause in September can watch for future updates and projects as they are announced at www.folsomcommunityservice.org.
Above photo: Leaders and staff form the City of Folsom are joined by the Community Service Day Steering Committee after being recognized by the State of California with the Recreation and Community Program Award.