diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/release.lock.yml
index 6cea878780c..a6a49bd0781 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.lock.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #
 # Build, test, and release gh-aw extension, then generate and prepend release highlights
 #
-# gh-aw-metadata: {"schema_version":"v1","frontmatter_hash":"7bac240d8646b61e0b920ab0aaf714c94e7290cd6476e767d9d695b9431cf50d"}
+# gh-aw-metadata: {"schema_version":"v1","frontmatter_hash":"c9c4b4ced1984841d73234d18c94441f083f894b09c6ab199f4abdde881319e0"}
 
 name: "Release"
 "on":
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ jobs:
           RELEASE_ID: ${{ needs.release.outputs.release_id }}
           RELEASE_TAG: ${{ needs.config.outputs.release_tag }}
         name: Setup environment and fetch release data
-        run: "set -e\nmkdir -p /tmp/gh-aw/release-data\n\n# Use the release ID and tag from the release job\necho \"Release ID from release job: $RELEASE_ID\"\necho \"Release tag from release job: $RELEASE_TAG\"\n\necho \"Processing release: $RELEASE_TAG\"\necho \"RELEASE_TAG=$RELEASE_TAG\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"\n\n# Get the current release information\n# Use release ID to fetch release data\ngh api \"/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases/$RELEASE_ID\" > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/current_release.json\necho \"✓ Fetched current release information\"\n\n# Get the previous release to determine the range\nPREV_RELEASE_TAG=$(gh release list --limit 2 --json tagName --jq '.[1].tagName // empty')\n\nif [ -z \"$PREV_RELEASE_TAG\" ]; then\n  echo \"No previous release found. This appears to be the first release.\"\n  echo \"PREV_RELEASE_TAG=\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"\n  touch /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\n  echo \"[]\" > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\nelse\n  echo \"Previous release: $PREV_RELEASE_TAG\"\n  echo \"PREV_RELEASE_TAG=$PREV_RELEASE_TAG\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"\n  \n  # Get commits between releases\n  echo \"Fetching commits between $PREV_RELEASE_TAG and $RELEASE_TAG...\"\n  git fetch --unshallow 2>/dev/null || git fetch --depth=1000\n  \n  # Get all merged PRs between the two releases\n  echo \"Fetching pull requests merged between releases...\"\n  PREV_PUBLISHED_AT=$(gh release view \"$PREV_RELEASE_TAG\" --json publishedAt --jq .publishedAt)\n  CURR_PUBLISHED_AT=$(gh release view \"$RELEASE_TAG\" --json publishedAt --jq .publishedAt)\n  gh pr list \\\n    --state merged \\\n    --limit 1000 \\\n    --json number,title,author,labels,mergedAt,url,body \\\n    --jq \"[.[] | select(.mergedAt >= \\\"$PREV_PUBLISHED_AT\\\" and .mergedAt <= \\\"$CURR_PUBLISHED_AT\\\")]\" \\\n    > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\n  \n  PR_COUNT=$(jq length \"/tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\")\n  echo \"✓ Fetched $PR_COUNT pull requests\"\nfi\n\n# Get the CHANGELOG.md content around this version\nif [ -f \"CHANGELOG.md\" ]; then\n  cp CHANGELOG.md /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/CHANGELOG.md\n  echo \"✓ Copied CHANGELOG.md for reference\"\nfi\n\n# List documentation files for linking\nfind docs -type f -name \"*.md\" 2>/dev/null > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/docs_files.txt || echo \"No docs directory found\"\n\necho \"✓ Setup complete. Data available in /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/\""
+        run: "set -e\nmkdir -p /tmp/gh-aw/release-data\n\n# Use the release ID and tag from the release job\necho \"Release ID from release job: $RELEASE_ID\"\necho \"Release tag from release job: $RELEASE_TAG\"\n\necho \"Processing release: $RELEASE_TAG\"\necho \"RELEASE_TAG=$RELEASE_TAG\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"\n\n# Get the current release information\n# Use release ID to fetch release data\ngh api \"/repos/${{ github.repository }}/releases/$RELEASE_ID\" > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/current_release.json\necho \"✓ Fetched current release information\"\n\n# Get the previous release to determine the range\nPREV_RELEASE_TAG=$(gh release list --limit 2 --json tagName --jq '.[1].tagName // empty')\n\nif [ -z \"$PREV_RELEASE_TAG\" ]; then\n  echo \"No previous release found. This appears to be the first release.\"\n  echo \"PREV_RELEASE_TAG=\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"\n  touch /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\n  echo \"[]\" > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\nelse\n  echo \"Previous release: $PREV_RELEASE_TAG\"\n  echo \"PREV_RELEASE_TAG=$PREV_RELEASE_TAG\" >> \"$GITHUB_ENV\"\n  \n  # Get commits between releases\n  echo \"Fetching commits between $PREV_RELEASE_TAG and $RELEASE_TAG...\"\n  git fetch --unshallow 2>/dev/null || git fetch --depth=1000\n  \n  # Get all merged PRs between the two releases\n  echo \"Fetching pull requests merged between releases...\"\n  PREV_PUBLISHED_AT=$(gh release view \"$PREV_RELEASE_TAG\" --json publishedAt --jq .publishedAt)\n  CURR_PUBLISHED_AT=$(gh release view \"$RELEASE_TAG\" --json publishedAt --jq .publishedAt)\n  gh pr list \\\n    --state merged \\\n    --limit 1000 \\\n    --json number,title,author,labels,mergedAt,url,body \\\n    --jq \"[.[] | select(.mergedAt >= \\\"$PREV_PUBLISHED_AT\\\" and .mergedAt <= \\\"$CURR_PUBLISHED_AT\\\")]\" \\\n    > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\n  \n  PR_COUNT=$(jq length \"/tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json\")\n  echo \"✓ Fetched $PR_COUNT pull requests\"\nfi\n\n# Fetch community-labeled issues\necho \"Fetching issues with 'community' label...\"\nif ! gh issue list \\\n  --label \"community\" \\\n  --state all \\\n  --limit 500 \\\n  --json number,title,author,labels,closedAt,url \\\n  > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json; then\n  echo \"[]\" > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json\nfi\n\nCOMMUNITY_COUNT=$(jq length \"/tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json\")\necho \"✓ Fetched $COMMUNITY_COUNT community-labeled issues\"\n\n# Get the CHANGELOG.md content around this version\nif [ -f \"CHANGELOG.md\" ]; then\n  cp CHANGELOG.md /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/CHANGELOG.md\n  echo \"✓ Copied CHANGELOG.md for reference\"\nfi\n\n# List documentation files for linking\nfind docs -type f -name \"*.md\" 2>/dev/null > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/docs_files.txt || echo \"No docs directory found\"\n\necho \"✓ Setup complete. Data available in /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/\""
 
       - name: Configure Git credentials
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.md b/.github/workflows/release.md
index 9bbbd2f1677..64d61e0b261 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.md
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.md
@@ -356,6 +356,20 @@ steps:
         echo "✓ Fetched $PR_COUNT pull requests"
       fi
       
+      # Fetch community-labeled issues
+      echo "Fetching issues with 'community' label..."
+      if ! gh issue list \
+        --label "community" \
+        --state all \
+        --limit 500 \
+        --json number,title,author,labels,closedAt,url \
+        > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json; then
+        echo "[]" > /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json
+      fi
+      
+      COMMUNITY_COUNT=$(jq length "/tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json")
+      echo "✓ Fetched $COMMUNITY_COUNT community-labeled issues"
+      
       # Get the CHANGELOG.md content around this version
       if [ -f "CHANGELOG.md" ]; then
         cp CHANGELOG.md /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -379,6 +393,7 @@ Generate an engaging release highlights summary for **${{ github.repository }}**
 All data is pre-fetched in `/tmp/gh-aw/release-data/`:
 - `current_release.json` - Release metadata (tag, name, dates, existing body)
 - `pull_requests.json` - PRs merged between `${PREV_RELEASE_TAG}` and `${RELEASE_TAG}` (empty array if first release)
+- `community_issues.json` - All issues labeled `community` (issue number, title, author, closedAt, url)
 - `CHANGELOG.md` - Full changelog for context (if exists)
 - `docs_files.txt` - Available documentation files for linking
 
@@ -402,6 +417,9 @@ cat /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/current_release.json | jq
 # List PRs (empty if first release)
 cat /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json | jq -r '.[] | "- #\(.number): \(.title) by @\(.author.login)"'
 
+# List community issues
+cat /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/community_issues.json | jq -r '.[] | "- #\(.number): \(.title) by @\(.author.login)"'
+
 # Check CHANGELOG context
 head -100 /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/CHANGELOG.md 2>/dev/null || echo "No CHANGELOG"
 
@@ -409,7 +427,21 @@ head -100 /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/CHANGELOG.md 2>/dev/null || echo "No CHANGELOG
 cat /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/docs_files.txt
 ```
 
-### 2. Categorize & Prioritize
+### 2. Identify Community Contributions
+
+Cross-reference `community_issues.json` with `pull_requests.json` to find which community issues are resolved in this release.
+
+A community issue is considered resolved in this release if any PR in `pull_requests.json` references its number in the PR body (e.g., `Fixes #123`, `Closes #123`, `Resolves #123`).
+
+```bash
+# Extract PR bodies and cross-reference with community issue numbers
+cat /tmp/gh-aw/release-data/pull_requests.json | jq -r '.[].body // ""' | \
+  grep -oP '(?i)(close[sd]?|fix(e[sd])?|resolve[sd]?)\s*#\K[0-9]+' | sort -u
+```
+
+For each community issue resolved in this release, note the **issue author** from `community_issues.json`. These are the community contributors to celebrate.
+
+### 3. Categorize & Prioritize
 
 Group PRs by category (omit categories with no items):
 - **✨ New Features** - User-facing capabilities
@@ -419,7 +451,7 @@ Group PRs by category (omit categories with no items):
 - **⚠️ Breaking Changes** - Requires user action (ALWAYS list first if present)
 - **🔧 Internal** - Refactoring, dependencies (usually omit from highlights)
 
-### 3. Write Highlights
+### 4. Write Highlights
 
 Structure:
 ```markdown
@@ -439,6 +471,12 @@ Structure:
 ### 📚 Documentation
 [Only if significant doc additions/improvements]
 
+### 🌍 Community Contributions
+[Only if any community-labeled issues are resolved in this release]
+A huge thank you to the community members who reported issues that were resolved in this release:
+- **@[author]** for [issue title] ([#number](url))
+[One entry per community issue author. Omit this section entirely if no community issues are resolved.]
+
 ---
 For complete details, see [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/github/gh-aw/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md).
 ```
@@ -448,9 +486,9 @@ For complete details, see [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/github/gh-aw/blob/main/
 - Be specific: "Reduced compilation time by 40%" not "Faster compilation"
 - Skip internal changes unless they have user impact
 - Use docs links: `[Learn more](https://github.github.com/gh-aw/path/)`
-- Keep breaking changes prominent with action items
+- Celebrate community contributors: thank each issue author by name with a link to their issue
 
-### 4. Handle Special Cases
+### 5. Handle Special Cases
 
 **First Release** (no `${PREV_RELEASE_TAG}`):
 ```markdown