Hands4Hope collects over 2,700 pounds of food to help those in need

On Sunday, September 18, Hands4Hope held their annual Fall Food Blitz For The hungry to collect food and monetary donations from community members. The goal of this event was to support the continued efforts of local food banks and programs supporting the hungry, including the El Dorado County Food Bank and Twin Lakes Food Bank (Folsom).

The Food Blitz was a one-day drive, based at Safeway Placerville and Grocery Outlet Folsom, where Hands4Hope youth and adult volunteers handed out flyers on current community needs and collected donations from store patrons. The result was over 2,700 pounds of food and $1,183.99 in contributions that were later delivered to the benefiting food banks.

Yoko Kono, the Hands4Hope Outreach Coordinator, along with Hands4Hope youth volunteers, were touched by all of the community support the event received, but especially by one donor in particular.  “The best part of the event,” Kono explained, “was when a man who appeared homeless came up and donated $1, describing that he wanted to help.  He then quietly resumed what he had been doing before: sifting through the trash for cans.  It was such an amazing gesture to witness, and a great learning experience for the youth volunteers. The value of the $1 that the man gave was truly priceless!”

Hands4Hope would like to thank all of those who donated to the Food Blitz, as well as the participating grocery stores, Safeway Placerville and Grocery Outlet Folsom. The day would not have been a success without the overwhelming community support that Hands4Hope received.

Thank you to all who supported us - 2015 Benefit Dinner and Costume Gala

Our 6th Annual Benefit Dinner and Costume Ball, the “Twisted Carnival”, dedicated to supporting the nonprofit’s youth development program and numerous outreach activities, was a success!  Thank you to the Event Committee:  Cam Francis, Deanna Santana, Jamie McCullough, Jessie Baratta, Julie Busch, Laura Leszinske, along with Eric Zeps and many youth and adult volunteers for working so hard to create an amazing night.

(Photo Credit: Menka Belgal, see all night’s photos here)

Diane Wilkinson Catering provided a stellar dinner and assortment of appetizers.  Youth participants greeted and served the attendees in the most professional manner, gaining real life experience.  The “Rock Monsterz” entertained guests and Southern Wine & Spirits, Wine Warehouse and Madrona Vineyards provided the wine and Placerville Brewing Company provided the beer.  Thank you all!

(Photo Credit: Menka Belgal, see all night’s photos here)

There was a silent and live auction, a dessert auction, dancing, and a fun photo booth provided by Martell O’Neal/KellerWilliams (see photos here). “Good Day Sacramento” television personality Mark S Allen emceed the event in his usual spirited and fun fashion.  Hayley Lehtola, past H4H Youth Board President, told her story of how her involvement with Hands4Hope has impacted her life from the time she joined as a young high school student to how she lives her life now as a college student at UC Berkeley.

Due to the generosity of attendees, the live and silent auctions, in addition to our Fund A Need, Hands4Hope raised just over $30,000!

Thank you to our Platinum and Gold Sponsors - Wells Fargo, US Bank, El Dorado Disposal, Seafloor, Blue Shield of Ca., El Dorado Hills Town Center (A Development by The Mansour/Nagle).  Thank you also to our event Table Sponsors - Fergerson Financial, KMAX-TV/CW31, Romo Incentives Group, Tech Shop, and Western Sign Company for making this event possible.

Thank you to our raffle and auction donors (listed below) for providing amazing items that brought in over $15,000 to support Hands4Hope’s life changing programs:

Anne Rhea	El Dorado Hills Fire Department	Lava Cap Winery	Sacramento Zoo
Anisha Belgal	El Vaquero	Leszinski Family	San Francisco 49'ers
Art Haus Cinema	Esquire IMAX Theatre	Mama Ann's Deli	Sienna
Asante Spa	Fine Arts Museums of San Francsico	Madrona Vineyards	Sierra Nevada Recreation Corp
Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa	Fit Ride	Mark S Allen	Silva Family
Bassett Family	Funderland	Morris Law Group	Snooks
Bill Wild	Golden Gate Park	Museum of Natural History Los Angeles	Sugar Bowl Corporation
Blue & Gold Fleet	Granite Arch	Outhouse Collection	The Melting Pot
Brice Station	Granite Bay Golf Course	Peterson Family	The Rink
Buckendorf Family	Harvey's Casino & Hotel	Pham Family	Time Out Spa
Cache Creek Casino Resort	ICE by Donna Burke	Pier 39	Timeless Home Gallery
Chantom Vineyards	Ideal Impressions	Placerville Brewing Co	TraVigne, St. Helena
Charles Mitchell Winery	Ironstone Winery	Purple Place	Urban Wax
Crystal Basin Winery	Jessie Baratta	Rainbow Orchards	Weiner Family
David Morris Law	KidzGear	Relish Burger Bar	Wells Fargo
Doug & Julie Busch	Laughs Unlimited	Sacramento Republic FC	Whole Foods

Please Consider Hands4Hope In Your Year-end Giving! Thank you!

Hello Hands4Hope Families, Friends, and Ambassadors!

As 2014 comes to a close, I’m sure you join me in thinking, “where has all the time gone!?” As we each reflect on this year – with our families, at our jobs, and in our communities – I’m proud to share some of the amazing accomplishments the Hands4Hope youth, leadership teams, families, and friends have achieved:

• Partnered with 15 local schools to engage 400 students in service learning projects which included: clothing and toiletries drives, fundraising projects benefiting the needs of local agencies and serving the less fortunate. Hands4Hope Clubs completed 26 projects during the 2013-14 school year, all to improve the lives of others.
• Planned, prepared and served 3,255 meals to homeless on the streets, to senior residents living in low income housing developments, and to mentally challenged women at a local shelter.
• Mentored children bi-weekly at a transition home for recovering moms and their children, where they built positive relationships with the children and served as positive role models demonstrating good and caring behavior.

“Hands4Hope provides an opportunity for youth to see and participate in the needs of others that they may have never seen or may never see and experience. Their efforts have produced many solutions to many of the social ills that plague our society.”   Ron Sachs, Job’s Shelter of the Sierra

To learn more about the many accomplishments of Hands4Hope youth, please watch our most recent video: http://www.hands4hopeyouth.org.

The commitment from our youth and families is the foundation of Hands 4 Hope; none of these results could be achieved without YOU, your imagination, creativity, passion, and support! I am deeply grateful for your many contributions.

Our numerous youth-led programs also depend on resources and funding. As you consider making your final tax-deductible donations for the 2013 year, or perhaps consider donations in a family member’s name as a holiday gift that keeps giving, please put Hands4Hope at the top of your list. Please donate directly through our website today: http://www.hands4hopeyouth.org/donate/. We are happy to supply a Certificate of Donation for those dedications. Checks are also gratefully accepted.

For a little as $20, your donation can fund a blanket, hand-made by our youth, to keep someone warm this winter. A donation of $50 allows our youth to prepare and deliver 25 meals to someone who otherwise would go hungry. A donation of $100 funds a “youth in action,” allowing a youth member to participate in our service learning and outreach programs for one year. And, a generous donation of $400 provides a scholarship allowing a youth member to attend our H4H leadership camp next summer, providing an at-risk youth to experience something that could change their lives forever.

I know this time of year is especially difficult to find the extra money in your household budget to give to local nonprofits, even those you love like Hands4Hope! My only ask is that you make every effort to support our organization by donating today at http://www.hands4hopeyouth.org and in doing so, support the more than 1200 youth involved and the thousands of community members who benefit from our programs.

Thank you for your support and commitment as we continue to develop programs that directly benefit our community, as well as the people we serve. We are making a difference every day, and that is something worth investing in!

Warm wishes for a happy & safe holiday season,

Jennifer Bassett

Jennifer Bassett
Founder/Executive Director
Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference
916.919.5695
www.hands4hopeyouth.org

Empowering youth to make a positive difference in the world around them through Exploration, Action, and Leadership.

Hands4Hope Youth Board Welcomes New Board President

Last May Hands4Hope Youth Leader Haley Latola, Senior at Oak Ridge High, was named the Hands4Hope Youth Board President for the 2014-2015 year. Haley gladly accepted and has been hard at work with Hands4Hope staff and peer Youth Leaders to kick off the 2014-2015 Hands4Hope Club Year. Haley's family has recently been given the opportunity to move to Sicily Italy.  Haley will be leaving her position as Youth Board President in October to seize the opportunity and prospect of adventure in Italy!  We are so grateful for Haley’s dedication to Hands4Hope, as well as her countless hours of service to the community! It is with a heavy heart that we say arrivederci to Haley.

We are excited to announce that there is a member of our current Hands4Hope Leadership Team who is ready and willing to step into the role of Youth Board President, and work in tandem with Haley until her departure next month. Hands4Hope is thrilled to announce Chieme Ohanele, a Senior at Oak Ridge High, as the new 2014-2015 Hands4Hope Youth Board President. 

Along with Chieme’s appointment to Youth Board President, the other three Youth Board positions have been appointed as follows: Youth Board Vice President -Noopur Khachane (Senior at Mira Loma High); Youth Board Secretary-Danielle DiOrio (Senior at Ponderosa High); Youth Board Treasure-Jasmine Lyon (Junior at Folsom High). 

We are confident that the new Hands4Hope Youth Board Leadership Team will work together to successfully lead the Youth Board and provide outstanding peer leadership, as well as invaluable contributions from a youth perspective to the Hands4Hope organization as a whole.