Five years ago, former City of Folsom Mayor Steve Miklos and now-retired Public Information Office Sue Ryan organized a single day of community service throughout Folsom, now known as Folsom Community Service Day. “They believed the community itself had a keen understanding of the projects that needed to get done throughout the city. The goal was to accomplish many tasks on a single day—[projects that] would normally take months or even years to complete—by mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to help,” explains City of Folsom Communications Manager Christine Brainerd. This year’s Folsom Community Service Day is scheduled for September 15 and offers over 50 projects, including a food drive for Twin Lakes Food Bank, trail clean-ups, beautification projects at Folsom schools, packing care packages for overseas military, and much more. Those interested in volunteering for the day must register online and pick their project beforehand. Volunteers must check-in the day of at Lakeside Church between 7-8:15 a.m.; most projects run from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are given a T-shirt, volunteer bag, and breakfast, but perhaps more importantly are given a sense of selfless accomplishment. “By volunteering, you’ll make a difference in the lives of the people you live with in your community,” says Brainerd. By Emily Peter