FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2026
B-roll and press conference footage included below.
MEDIA CONTACT: Joyia Emard, 279-220-3530, Joyia.Emard@CV.Ca.Gov
State Recruits California Service Corps Members in LA Area
What you need to know: California is recruiting 10,000 paid California Service Corps members across the state to serve their communities, gain valuable experience and help tackle the state’s most pressing challenges. From responding to disasters and climate change to addressing food insecurity to tutoring students, members are on the frontlines of service — ready to step up when California needs them most.
ALTADENA, Calif. — Today during the LA Climate Week kickoff at Eaton Canyon, Josh Fryday, Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GO-Serve) Director and California Chief Service Officer, announced the recruitment of more than 3,400 California Service Corps members in the LA Area while highlighting the work of service members who take climate action and respond during disasters and recovery.
Director Fryday, LA Climate Week Co-Founder and Collidescope Foundation Executive Director Dan Thorman, LA County Department of Parks and Recreation Director Norma E. García-González, L.A. Works Vice President of External Affairs Stephen Davalos, California Service Corps members and volunteers were at wildfire-stricken Eaton Canyon where they removed invasive plant species to help prevent future destructive wildfires and to encourage the regrowth of native species. Eaton Canyon remains closed to the public while restoration work is completed.
GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday works alongside California Service Corps members and volunteers to remove invasive plant species to help prevent future destructive wildfires and encourage the regrowth of native species at Eaton Canyon.
Ten thousand California Service Corps members throughout the state gain hands-on experience while serving their communities, earning money and building valuable career skills. Members support communities by taking environmental action, tutoring and mentoring students, responding to disasters, tackling food insecurity and connecting vulnerable Californians to critical resources and services.
This year’s recruitment efforts highlight the California Men’s Service Challenge, a new initiative that encourages and helps men step up and serve their communities through the California Service Corps and volunteer and service opportunities with partner organizations.
“We’re calling on Californians to join up, lend a hand and step out into the community. We see and feel the difference when California Service Corps members are on the ground and engaging with their communities — making a lasting impact on our state,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “More than ever, California is committed to investing in the next generation of emerging leaders and ensuring their path towards success.”
The California Service Corps is the largest state-level service force in the nation, consisting of four paid service programs:
L.A. Works Vice President of External Affairs Stephen Davalos, LA County Department of Parks and Recreation Director Norma Garcia-Gonzalez, LA Climate Week Executive Director Dan Thorman and GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday join California Service Corps members and volunteers at Eaton Canyon in Altadena to highlight the work of service members and announce the recruitment of over 3,400 California Service Corps positions.
From strengthening local schools to supporting disaster recovery efforts, California Service Corps members are helping address California’s most pressing challenges while building pathways to careers.
Those interested in finding a paid service opportunity can learn more about the benefits and impact of service at CAServiceCorps.com.
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH: GO-Serve Director and California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. Contact Joyia Emard, 279-220-3530, Joyia.Emard@CV.Ca.Gov.
RELATED FOOTAGE:
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Supervisor:
“The California Service Corps members and volunteers showing up at Eaton Canyon embodies the spirit of resilience that defines our community and I deeply appreciate their dedication. Volunteers are a cornerstone of disaster recovery. Their work restoring ecological environments such as Eaton Canyon — which is on full display today — is a meaningful investment in the safety and future of the communities we all value and support.”
Daniel Thorman, LA Climate Week Co-Founder and Collidescope Foundation Executive Director:
“What makes this day possible is something you don’t see very often — state service programs, county parks and a volunteer-led initiative all working side-by-side, doing the same physical work in the same place. California Climate Action Corps, California Service Corps, AmeriCorps California, Youth Service Corps, L.A. Works — these programs exist because this kind of work matters, and April 8 is a chance for people to experience that firsthand. We built LA Climate Week to create moments exactly like this, where the people doing the work and the people who want to help actually find each other.”
Shawn Sweeney, LA Climate Week Executive Director:
“There are people who have been showing up to restore this canyon since the fire — quietly, consistently, doing the work that makes recovery possible. And the canyon is responding. Native plants are coming back, and some of them are coming back stronger than before. It is one of the most hopeful things I have ever seen. We wanted LA Climate Week to start here — with impact and investment in a frontline community — because that’s how climate action actually looks. It’s not a conference topic. It’s the ground beneath your feet, and the people already taking care of it.”
Norma E. García-González, Director, County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation:
“We are very grateful to California Volunteers, Office of the Governor, LA Climate Week and LA Works for working hard today to remove invasive shrubs at Eaton Canyon. The canyon’s recovery after the 2025 wildfire is multi-phase and includes eliminating invasive shrubs that crowd out native shrubs. Building resiliency against climate change and wildfires includes native shrubs and trees that are adapted to this habitat and more fire resistant.”
Deborah Brutchey, L.A. Works Executive Director:
“L.A. Works is proud to partner with the California Service Corps and Collidescope Foundation to lead climate efforts across the city. Together, we’re creating opportunities for volunteers to take tangible action, because collective action and partnerships — all of us working side by side — makes long-term resilience possible.”
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About California Volunteers, Office of the Governor
California Volunteers, under GO-Serve, empowers Californians to take action to improve their communities. California Volunteers is the state office tasked with recruiting Californians to engage in public service.
