Preparations are well underway for the upcoming food drive, which will take place next month as part of the 11th Annual Folsom Community Service Day.

September 21st marks Folsom’s largest day of volunteer service, mobilizing residents of all ages to complete projects throughout the city that have a positive, lasting impact. Community Service Day is organized by the City of Folsom, local businesses and community organizations.

One of the biggest components of this upcoming big day in town is the community-wide food drive, which is part of the big day but requires a lot of preparation beforehand. Those preparations are already well underway.

Last year alone, community members donated approximately 28 tons of nonperishable food to the Twin Lakes Food Bank. That seems like a large amount, but given the increasing demand for assistance with basic food items, the amount goes surprisingly quickly as it comes in.

Although Community Service Day is just a month away, food collection is a top priority for everyone involved. On Tuesday evening, “staple food” items of a different kind were put in motion for collection in preparation for the upcoming campaign.

Several hundred volunteers gathered at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Folsom on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to attach food collection instructions to thousands of bags. These bags will then be distributed to doorsteps throughout the community over the coming weeks so residents can fill them and pick them up on September 21.

On both evenings, the interior of the church looked like a busy factory. Tables were lined up in several rows, with volunteers of all ages sitting on each side, working like an assembly line to get the huge task done quickly and efficiently.

“We are attaching flyers to over 30,000 bags in preparation for the food drive,” said Mark Bahouth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We can do it in about two hours over two evenings.”

Soon, many volunteers in the community will be out there trying to get the bags distributed to every single-family home and also to some multi-family homes in the city.

On September 21, the convoy of volunteers will begin collecting the filled grocery bags from the doorsteps of every household that put out a bag that morning. From there, the bags will be taken to another large gathering of volunteers in front of the Twin Lakes Food Bank, who will sort the produce for proper storage.

While many volunteers are already beginning their work, registration for this community service day is now open as there is a need in many areas. For more information and to register as a volunteer, visit www.folsomcommunityservice.org. Folsom Times photos and videos by Bill Sullivan.