El Dorado Hills Fireman’s Dinner

At the last Hands4Hope Benefit Dinner, auction items such as dinner with the El Dorado Hills Fireman, were provided. Mr. and Mrs. Horning jumped at the opportunity to sponsor the El Dorado Hills Fireman’s Dinner as a way to give back to community members who dedicate their lives to serving. Lucky enough to win the event at the Hands4Hope Benefit Dinner, Don and Lois, along with their daughter and a couple of neighbors, got the chance to cook and eat at the station, and even learn more about the fire department. Six firemen graciously cooked a gourmet meal of shrimp, steak, twice baked potatoes, and even dessert. Mr. Horning commented that meal was delicious and the firemen that cooked were extremely talented and true chefs! After the meal, the firefighters gave the visitors a tour of the firehouse.

The Fireman’s Dinner is just one event that the Hornings’ have volunteered their time towards. Mr. and Mrs. Horning are incredible advocates and donators to Hands4Hope. They firmly believe that the mission develops the next generation of leaders. Whether it was the firemen themselves or the people that attended, all have a true passion for serving the community.

{Interview and article by high school volunteer, Kelly McMillen}

Lakeview Elementary hosts toiletries drive that benefited all of the people and agencies that Hands4Hope serves

Lakeview Elementary hosted a toiletries drive that benefited all of the people and agencies that Hands4Hope serves.  The drive was school wide and led by the Lakeview Elementary Impact Club.  Lakeview collected almost 100 pounds of toiletries.

The volunteers also sorted a portion of the collection to be donated to Lilliput Children's Services.  They delivered 4 boxes of toiletries and 15 fleece blankets to the agency.  Lilliput serves children and families who are touched by foster care, adoption and kinship care.

Media Smart Youth Program Teaches Healthy Habits

Media-Smart Youth is a Hands4Hope pilot cross-age mentoring program offered at Jackson Elementary by three H4H Teen Leaders. These dynamic leaders applied for and received a small grant from the National Institute of Health to implement the program, which covered the topic of nutrition and the media. The leaders wanted to introduce this program to a group of 5th grade students, in order to help students gain personal management skills in the areas of nutrition and physical activity prior to their transition to middle school. This interactive program empowers young people to, become aware of—and think critically about—media's role in influencing their nutrition and physical activity choices, while building skills that help them make informed decisions about being physically active and eating nutritious food in daily life. Kelly, Sarah, and Andrew are youth leaders who changed the way kids think. All three of them were drawn to the idea of educating children about media literacy and nutrition.

Kelly says, “If we can show the kids now, not only good eating habits, but how to decipher the influences that surround them, we can teach them something entirely different than what society is preaching.” Kelly is sure that the lessons she teaches the kids today, will help them later on to be a healthy, informed young adult. Being in this program has even taught her some valuable skills. “I have learned many skills that I would have never learned in a school classroom. Media-Smart Youth taught me time management, budgeting, as well as leadership.”

“What I love most about MSY is being able to dedicate a majority of my time to a cause I really care about that can benefit the kids for their whole lives”, Sarah says. These teen leaders are learning just as much as they are teaching. “I have learned how to better budget money, involve kids in engaging ways, and dedicate my time to something that is important. Working so hard on something has helped show me the importance and value of planning, time management, and dedication. “

Working in Media-Smart Youth, Andrew has learned that kids are not as educated about tempting media strategies. “Before, I thought this would be very stressful, but once we hit the ground running, it was a tremendous relief to realize this was fun and educational instead of just educational.”

Give Where You Live

Dear Volunteers & Supporters,

El Dorado County’s celebration of the National Day of Giving is just three weeks away!  Please join Hands4Hope in this wonderful opportunity to "Give Where You Live" between midnight and 11:59pm on Thursday, April 23rd.

Our goal for the day is big, but together, we can do it!  We intend to raise $7,500 to assist in funding our programs and our vision of cultivating the next generation of socially responsible citizens. We know there are thousands of generous people in this region and hope you and others are inspired by Hands4Hope and choose to donate to our program on this important day.

We believe that Hands4Hope is unique in that it provides youth, from grade-schoolers to teens, with tangible, real-world opportunities to make a positive difference in their community. Hands4Hope empowers our local kids by taking them to into neighborhoods, senior centers, homeless shelters, and even out onto the streets to help those in need. Through these opportunities, our youth see the problems, see how they can help, and then take the action to make that change happen.

While there are many donation levels and ways to give, our focus for this Day of Giving is to fund 75 Youth In Action at $100 each.

This investment allows one youth to explore, plan, implement, and participate in six outreach projects, reaching up to 1,000 people in our community! In total, our $7,500 goal will ultimately serve 15,000 seniors, kids, and other groups we support. Together, we can do it!

Please join us and do three simple things on April 23rd:

1. Visit http://giving.edcoe.org and follow the link to the list of participating agencies; click on Hands4Hope under the Children & Youth heading.
   
2. Make a donation starting at just $25, or fill in the amount of your choice. NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL or BIG!
   
3. Spread the word! Your network is powerful. Tell your friends, post on Facebook, and tweet about it. Click the social media "share" button on your donation page. Be part of something really big and help us reach our goal.  

Thank you for helping make this day a success! We are so grateful for your generous spirit!!

Jennifer

Hope House Re-Opens!

 Hope House, which has been on hiatus since July, is excited to announce that they are now up and running at full capacity and are ready for Hands4Hope volunteers again.

Hope House is a transitional housing program designed to affect life change through empowerment, encouragement and love, carried out through structure and accountability while allowing residents the freedom to heal and grow.

 Hands4Hope volunteers work closely with the staff and residents of Hope House, and most importantly the children. Our volunteers are an integral part of the recovery process by nurturing, caring for and building positive relationships with the children through play and crafts in a safe environment.

If you are interested in volunteering at Hope House, or learning more about this worthwhile outreach, we will be having an informational meeting on Monday, March 9th from 3:30-4:30 at the Hands4Hope Youth Center. We hope you can attend!

If you are interested in learning more about Hope House, but you are unable to attend the informational meeting, please contact Laura Buehler at laura@hands4hopeyouth.org.

Happy Birthday Hands4Hope!

Dear Hands4Hope Volunteers & Supporters,

It is with great pride, joy, and gratefulness that I write to you this month. These feelings are based on a culmination of things. Hands4Hope is SEVEN years old this month! I am in awe when I think about where we started, where we are today, and all that our youth and adults have accomplished.

WE HAVE THE MOST AMAZING YOUTH! Have you seen what they’ve accomplished in the last year, much less, what they've accomplished over the last seven years? It is only March and their list for 2015 is already impressive. They cannot wait to do projects to help others. Their eagerness and excitement to take on outreach projects is uncanny. They have seen success in what they have done, felt the joy of helping others, and want more! It is so exciting to see!! Visit: SUCCESSES.

WE HAVE THE MOST AMAZING COMMUNITY! The businesses and individuals who have stepped forward with their time and money to support this organization and its goals over the last seven years is incredible to me. This community has wrapped its arms around Hands4Hope and our mission, and has shown our youth that the community believes in their power to make a positive difference. They have put faith in me, our staff, and our Board to create programs that have meaningful and life-altering outcomes.

WE HAVE THE MOST AMAZING ADULTS! Our board and adult volunteers have changed over the years, but each person has left a mark on this organization with their care and dedication to its continuing success. The time our adults dedicate to making sure our youth are safe, are heard, and get the best possible experience while working with Hands4Hope, is remarkable. The time our Board members and other agency execs have put into guiding me, and building and strengthening the infrastructure of this organization, is well beyond expectation.

Thank you all for a wonderful seven years! I can't wait to see where the next seven take us.

Happy Birthday Hands4Hope!!

Jennifer

Jennifer Bassett

Founder/Executive Director

916.919.5695

Volunteer Spotlight: Team Hope Leaders

We are excited to spotlight Simran Dhami, Marin Cross, and Destry Fitzpatrick, the teen leaders who lead the elementary service learning program - Team Hope. These dynamic youth leaders are fabulous role models for the Team Hope participants. We are grateful to have them as the leaders and mentors of this fun and interactive service learning program!

Simran attends Folsom High School and first learned about Hands4Hope through friends who were already leaders at their school club. Through them, she found that Hands4Hope was something she would like to be a part of and became an officer. “One of my favorite things about H4H is that when they say ‘youth driven’, they mean it.” She appreciates that adult leads are there to guide the way, but still let the youth run the show. Her involvement with Hands4Hope has taught her to become more aware of the needs of others everywhere, even in local communities. Volunteering for Simran means to be active in the community and helping improve it in any way she can. She just recently found us, but in the future she hopes to be more heavily involved, especially in event planning. 

Marin also attends Folsom High School and is currently serving as the  Vice President for the Folsom H4H Club. Marin originally started with Hands4Hope just looking for community service to put on college applications, but found that she stuck with the organization because she genuinely enjoyed spending her time with us. Her favorite part is the independence it allows while still having support from Hands4Hope. “Jennifer and Nicole in particular have really done a great job helping me become a better leader and have given me the resources to create successful projects and be involved in our community, but they have allowed me to lead and act on my own ideas.” Through Hands4Hope, Marin has gained confidence and the skills to work with her peers. She has learned the importance of helping others in the community, and doing it with a positive attitude. Marin says, “Even the smallest things that might not seem like a big deal can really have an impact on someone else. Being able to meet and learn about others in need has also made me more grateful for what I have.”

Destry attends Oak Ridge High School and has been involved with Hands4Hope for three years. He is a dedicated and caring mentor, spending the majority of his time with H4H involved in mentoring projects at; Hope House, The Kids Oasis at GVCC and as a Team Hope Teen Leader. Destry has also been an integral part of the the annual H4H Haunted House. He is quite caring and compassionate, that said any one of the kids he works with will tell you he’s FUN! Liv, a Team Hope member had this to say about Destry “ he’s fun and silly, but still get’s us to listen and do our projects. I always look forward to seeing him at our meetings.”