January Volunteer Spotlight: Noopur Khachane

Noopur in the front right of the picture

Noopur Khachane has only been volunteering with Hands4Hope for a little more than a year, but has already made a big impact on those in the organization.  Noopur joined the Hands4Hope leadership team in 2012 and 2013 at Leadership Camp where she developed great relationships with new people and learned skills about how to successfully run a Hands4Hope Club at her high school.

The adult leads that work with Noopur at outreaches describe her as a very hard and dedicated worker.  They say she has a great heart!

Noopur found Hands4Hope through a friend who shared with her that she was trying to get a Club started at their school, Mira Loma High School.  Since then, Noopur has become involved in the H4H Youth Board, helped with homeless outreaches, and volunteered at Green Valley Community Church (GVCC) and Twin Lakes Food Bank, to name a few.

"My favorite Hands4Hope volunteer activity is Kid's Cafe. I do it whenever I get the opportunity. It's a lot of fun to do arts and crafts with the kids," she said.

When asked what motivates her to take such an active role at Hands4Hope, Noopur said that having a younger brother has always made her interested in bettering the treatment of young children from lower income homes. 

"I hope through continued involvement in H4H that I will become better at being open-minded to other situations and having more life experience," she said. Noopur is most passionate about her family, service, and reading.  One day, she would like to make an impact on the world by helping to provide public health care.  

A heartfelt perspective from one of our youth...

 Education and serving my community are two of my biggest passions. My freshman year I joined a community service club at my school called Hands4Hope. Little did I know the complexity (I will try to not be too confusing) and value of this organization that has made a huge impact on my life. This organization is unique in that it is completely youth driven and provides the highest level of service learning where youth work and communicate directly with adults to start projects, drives, and outreach opportunities. Since joining Hands4Hope around three years ago, I have put in over 350 hours, and have learned so many valuable skills.

Starting out, I was very shy and uncomfortable, but nevertheless, I signed up for my first outreach, which was a daycare for kids while their homeless or low-income parents shopped around for warm clothes and food in a churches’ warehouse. It is so easily forgotten how much we take for granted, and I was, and still am, constantly reminded how lucky I am to have a roof over my head and food to come home to. Since this experience, I have become so passionate about helping others, especially children, because some of us were not as lucky as others in the “birth lottery.”

Hopefully it is okay for me to not focus on just one experience or one project, because I have truly been humbled by the variety of opportunities, and each one I find equally important. Each outreach and meeting slowly raised my confidence in myself and brought out skills I never knew I had. The first time I had to engage a large group of children in Project Birthday, where we throw birthday parties for children who cannot afford one, I found that I have the ability to lead. For a year, I have been mentoring kids in a shelter for single mothers who have had drug and alcohol problems. Here I found my ability to empathize. 

The way I can find time with four AP classes, a job, and leadership positions in school clubs, to cook a meal once a month for the homeless and mentally disabled women at the Sister Nora’s House, has showed me time management and organization. Visiting and entertaining the elderly at a local home has taught me patience. By leading monthly meetings with about 20 elementary school kids to brainstorm ways to raise money for the community, I learn from their innocence and honesty. 

The homeless teen I had the honor meeting and serving at a youth shelter; the one that has pretty much raised herself and her siblings for years. She has taught me what it means to be independent and strong. My pen pal, Birungi, from Uganda reminds me everyday how lucky I am to go to school and her passion to become a doctor inspires me. Now you know what I mean by the humbling opportunities I have had with Hands4Hope, and the list does not stop there. 

A few years ago I would have never dreamed I would be secretary of the high school Hands4Hope club, service hour coordinator for the National Honor Society, treasurer of the Hands4Hope Youth Board, or president of the Team Hope elementary school Hands4Hope club, but here I am. I am always encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and I feel that I have grown so much as a person because of it.  When asked why I volunteer so often, I say that by volunteering I receive more than I can ever give. It may sound selfish, but it is true. I am forever in debt for the priceless things these people have taught me and I will continue volunteer for the rest of my life. 

-Haley Lehtola

December Volunteer Spotlight: Jacob Kim

Jacob Kim's favorite volunteer activity with Hands4Hope is working at the Kids Café at Green Valley Community Church.  The first time he volunteered at Green Valley, he was made aware that there are a lot of people in need of help.  So, Jacob wanted to keep helping them as much as possible.

Jacob got his start volunteering with Hands4Hope when he started middle school and became interested in the school clubs. One of his friends suggested that he join H4H, and now Jacob has been very involved for over a year.

In addition to helping at the Green Valley Community Church Kids Club, Jacob also enjoys volunteering for the Sacramento homeless outreach.  With his school H4H Club, he helped raise money at school selling bracelets and with a bake sale in front of Raley's grocery store for soldier care packages and the Heifer Project. The Club raised over $1300.

When Jacob is not volunteering his time with Hands4Hope or attending 7^th grade at Rolling Hills Middle School, he is very passionate about spending time with family and friends and getting good grades. 

Jacob's father has served as an inspiration for him to continue to help those in need.