Kelly Ford cares about teenagers. As head of Folsom Parks and Recreation’s Teen Council, she works to inspire teenagers to do more community service, and to expose them to the benefits of helping others. “We have had some teens call us that need community service hours, and we’ve helped them out, giving them something to do,” Ford explains.

Her drive to get teens involved stems from her own experiences as a teenager. “I could never find a group that would go out and do community service projects,” she explains. “Instead, I always volunteered with my mother, who works for the fire department.”
In order to provide an outlet for teens seeking community service experience, Ford now organizes a variety of events each year, including donating Thanksgiving baskets to the needy each fall, and coordinating drug education programs for parents and teens. In addition, every Easter the council holds the “Egg-Stravaganza,” an Easter egg hunt that helps raise funds for the council’s philanthropic activities.

For Ford, working with teenagers is her dream job. “People don’t realize that [teens] can do so much,” she insists. “They’re not the troublemakers people make them out to be.” For more information about Teen Council, visit folsom.ca.us.