Please help us welcome our newest addition to the Hands4Hope staff, Yoko Kono. She is our Program Assistant and will assist the Outreach Coordinator with communication and coordination of adult and youth volunteers. The Program Assistant will be a strong supporter of the organization’s cause, collaborate with other non-profit agencies for the benefit of the community, and be responsible for completing diverse administrative tasks and for collaborating with other Hands4Hope staff.
Yoko and her family have been very active with Hands4Hope for the last 6 years. In a recent interview, we learn more about Yoko...
Tell us about your family:
My husband, Danton, and I have three boys. Brayden, 14, is a freshman at Oak Ridge High School; Rylan,12, is in 7th grade at Rolling Hills Middle School; and Tristan, 9, is in 4th grade at Silva Valley Elementary School.
We are a very active family and love to be outdoors. Brayden and Rylan play lacrosse and soccer competitively, while Tristan enjoys cross country, swimming, and mountain biking. As a family, we love to ski and to go up to the mountains every chance we get!
What has been your involvement with Hands4Hope?
We began participating in Hands4Hope programs about 6 years ago. My kids were very young at the time and we started with local outreaches such as blanket making and helping with the Warm & Fuzzy Drive and the Toiletries Drive at Silva Valley.
As we got more involved, we branched out to do other services such as Sacramento Homeless Outreach, which has been our favorite for many years. The boys are also involved with the Hands4Hope school clubs. I began getting more involved as well by joining Hands4Hope's Parent Advisory Committee a few years ago. Since then, I have seen Hands4Hope help hundreds of people in need in this community. I have also witnessed the youth volunteers develop leadership and communication skills as well as compassion for people less fortunate.
What does your family like to do together?
For the past four years, we have gone camping with many families from El Dorado Hills over Labor Day weekend. We also went on our first family backpacking trip in Ansel Adams Wilderness last summer and will be making that an annual trip as well! Many trips to Disneyland and family reunions in Hawaii are also things we enjoy as a family.
You've been involved with Hands4Hope for a while, what are the reasons for that?
We joined Hands4Hope to teach our kids to help people who are in need and to have unconditional love for those less fortunate. In return, my boys are learning how to assess the needs in our community, plan fundraisers and drives, and see the impact they can make. They are also exposed to the realities of homelessness and have hands-on experience making their lives a little better by giving them food and basic needs such as socks and toiletries. The experiences we have had through Hands4Hope are priceless!
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