Introducing Our New Outreach Cooridinator

We are sad to say that Mikan Gosuico is moving onto a new chapter in her life and has moved to beautiful Lake Tahoe with her family.  We wish you well Mikan!  We are very happy to have Laura Buehler, a long time El Dorado Hills resident, join Hands4Hope as the new Outreach Coordinator, taking Mikan’s place.

As the Outreach Coordinator, Laura will be the main contact for adult and youth volunteer, overseeing and coordinating all aspects of outreach and volunteer activities.  Laura will be a strong supporter of the organization’s mission, collaborating with other non-profit agencies for the benefit of the community and opening up opportunities for our youth.

As a teacher and volunteer in the community, Laura has years of experience working with youth and adults alike. Before having children, she taught junior high school students. Since then, she has been a substitute teacher as well as a regular classroom teacher in the local elementary schools. As a very active member of the community, Laura sits on the Board of Directors for the El Dorado Hills TAZ Swim Team and on the service team for El Dorado Hills Girl Scouts.  Laura is also very active at her children’s school, having assisted with the Meet the Masters and Life Lab programs over the years. 

Laura resides in El Dorado Hills with her husband, two children, and lovable black lab.  She is very excited to be a part of the Hands4Hope team.  "I am really looking forward to meeting new people and discovering new ways to serve my community.  Through my position, I hope to encourage and inspire our youth to become socially responsible members of our community," notes Laura.

Welcome Laura!

Highlights from our annual Hands4Hope Youth Leadership Camp

Seventeen high school Hands4Hope Club leaders participated in the 4th Annual Hands4Hope Youth Leadership Camp, spending 2 nights and 3 days at the Coloma Outdoor Discovery School (CODS) in Coloma. This camp provided an opportunity for all of the Hands4Hope (H4H) High School Club leaders to come together from six local high schools including: Union Mine, El Dorado, Ponderosa, Oak Ridge, Folsom, and Mira Loma. 

Hands4Hope High School Club Leaders participated in both the low and high ropes courses at CODS. In addition, the H4H Leaders participated in a series of workshops focused on strength-based leadership development, meeting and project development skills, and site-based teambuilding. We were also fortunate to have El Dorado County Sherriff D’Agostini as our camp closing speaker. 

These teambuilding and leadership development opportunities provide an excellent opportunity for Hands4Hope youth leaders to build foundational skills essential for running a successful service learning club in the 2014-2015 school year. Hands4Hope staff will continue to support and offer additional progressive leadership skill building opportunities for our young leaders throughout the year. 

Haley Lehtola, this year’s Youth Board President, had this to say about Hands4Hope’s Leadership Camp, “I have gone to camp for the past two year and can honestly say that I use the skills from camp everyday. With Hands4Hope, I am pushed past my comfort zone and grow as a leader. I also love getting the opportunity to bond with my fellow leaders so we can work together throughout the year.”

Our high school H4H Club leaders are excited to kick off the 2014 - 2015 school club year; many have meetings scheduled for as early as mid-September.

Our 1st Annual School Supply Drive was a success!!

This summer we held our 1st Annual School Supply Drive to benefit children in need in El Dorado County. In the weeks leading up to the start of the 2014-2015 school year, Hands4Hope youth and adult volunteers, led by college intern Riley Peick, collaborated with multiple local businesses, organizations and residents to collect backpacks and school supplies. Supplies were then distributed to over 400 students during two events, one for students in grades K-8^th and one for students in grades 9^th-12^th.

Led by a committee of five young volunteers committed to this cause, another 111 volunteers were put into action, handling the marketing of the drive, and collection and distribution of the supplies. In all, youth and adult volunteers worked over 130 hours to plan and implement the school supply drive.

We are proud to report that over 400 students were provided with new backpacks filled with necessary school supplies. With generous donations from businesses and community members alike, Hands4Hope received an estimated total of $29,517 worth of school supplies, including over 500 backpacks! In addition, Hands4Hope received a total of $1,557 in cash and gift card donations.

Hands4Hope Youth Development Coordinator NicoleCraine expressed her gratitude for the generosity shown by the community, “We are grateful for the incredible support from local businesses and residents. Together we have most certainly made a contribution to the well-being of the children who have benefited.”

Hands4Hope would like to acknowledge the local businesses and agencies that supported the school supply drive: Blue Shield of CA, California Welcome Center, Community Service District, DST, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, El Dorado Disposal, El Dorado Hills Fire Department (All locations), El Dorado Hills Library, Hangtown Skate Shop, Holy Trinity Parish, Lakehills Church, Office Max (Placerville), Rock’n Frogs, Rolling Hills Church, Round Table Pizza (El Dorado Hills Town Center) Royal Tattoo VI, Sam’s Club (Folsom), St. Stephens Church, Starbucks (Francisco), Starbucks (El Dorado Hills Town Center), The Gift of Kids, US Bank (White Rock Road),  Ethos Soccer Club and Zia’s.

Also, a huge thank you goes to the Placerville Union School District and the El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) for allowing Hands4Hope to utilize space at Schnell School and EDCOE to distribute the donated school supplies to students in need. Without the support of local residents, and these business and agencies, 400 El Dorado County students would not have been well prepared for their first day of school.   

We are already making plans for its 2nd Annual School Supply Drive. If you are interested in participating in this resource collection and distribution effort, please contact Nicole Craine,  nicole@hands4hopeyouth.org.