Hands4Hope has over eight youth-led project committees that run regularly throughout the year. These youth-led committees provide youth opportunities to lead, gain real-life experience, work as a team, learn conflict resolution and so much more.
School Supply Drive Committee
This committee ran May 2016-August 2016 and included three high school participants. This committee collected over 4,000 school supply items through multiple drives, a Neighborhood Blitz, and a Stuff the Bus event. Volunteers sorted and distributed backpacks and supplies to 207 children at a one day event on August 5th.
Haunted House Project (Scare4Hope)
The largest and most complex Hands4Hope youth-led project is Scare4Hope.The Scare4Hope Team designs and produces the annual haunted house. Scare4Hope is designed as a youth led production company that plans, builds, markets, and operates the Hands4Hope Haunted House.
The Scare4Hope Team started planning in May, with true dedication to creating something incredible for the community to enjoy. There are six committees involved: Construction/Engineering, Marketing, Creative, Finance/Legal, Front of House, and Volunteer Coordination. Each committee, made up of three to six youth, is led by a youth lead with one-two adult mentors. In total, there are 30 youth actively involved with 10 adult mentors.
This year, Scare4Hope scared 2,057 visitors during the month of October. The project netted over $17,000! This funding will be used to support the Hands4Hope’s Service Learning Program, as well as our Outreach Program. Tickets were discounted when patrons brought a canned food donation . . . because of this, over 500 pounds of food was collected and donated to the Food Bank of El Dorado County.
Hands4Hope Youth Board
Our Youth Board consists of 17 participants, which are the presidents and vice presidents from each of the High School Clubs, as well as committee leaders from each after school committee. In addition to their school clubs and committee projects, these youth leaders plan and develop a Youth Board community service project. Their area of focus this year is to support the organization Sweet Dreams Foundation with their mission to “improve the quality of life for children who have been diagnosed with a life threatening disease through the creation of their Dream bedroom”. The Youth Board is planning to have a spring fundraiser that will benefit the Sweet Dreams Foundation.
Project Birthday! Committee
Project Birthday! has 4 participants and their area of focus is Cross-Age Mentoring. This committee provides a birthday party to children ages 4-10 years of age, who are current residents of the White Rock Village, a low-income housing development in El Dorado Hills. This committee also provides birthday parties for children at Hope House, a faith-based, long term, transitional housing program for women and their children that are homeless or soon to be homeless. Staff and the Project Lead are working to recruit more participants for this committee.
Homeless Committee
This is a new youth-led committee to assist with our Homeless Outreach Program. There are five high school participants, and their area of focus is food and supply collection for individuals and families living on the street. They plan to fundraise and hold supply drives in order to purchase rain ponchos for individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as aim to partner with local grocery stores to donate excess food to the surrounding food banks. This committee has already assisted in partnering with Sacramento Loaves and Fishes to coordinate making and handing out lunches and toiletries to those they serve.
Kids Oasis Committee
The Kids Oasis Committee has 3 High School participants and their area of focus is Cross-Age Mentoring. They provide a bi-monthly children’s program to families visiting the Saturday Cafe at Green Valley Community Church. The participants play with toys, create crafts, practice basic math and reading skills, and socialize with other children. This provides committee members and other youth volunteers the opportunity to engage with and mentor younger children. Staff and the Project Lead are working to recruit more participants for this committee.
Winter Boutique Committee
The Winter Boutique Committee is comprised of 10 high school participants with a focus on providing foster and low-income families with warm essentials for the winter months. The committee uses clothes donated through our Warm and Fuzzy Drive held at local elementary schools, as well as various local businesses and churches. The Committee decorates and organizes the shop for a positive and festive shopping experience. They are also in charge of the marketing campaign to get the word out to local schools and agencies about the Boutique. The Boutique will be open for two weekends in December. Youth volunteers, ranging from second-graders to high school seniors, will be responsible for greeting shoppers, as well as helping them find needed items.
