Welcome Mary!

Mary Riley is joining Hands4Hope as part of Intel’s Encore Fellowship Program and will assist us with our Human Resource needs, including creating training material for staff, adult volunteers, and youth leadership on diversity and conflict resolution. She will also work with us on leadership development and will act as an adult mentor with our Folsom-based clubs.

Learn more about Mary:

I'm a native Californian and graduated from San Jose State University. After college I was hired with Intel and worked in various Finance & Human Resources positions.  My last Intel position was HR Manager supporting Intel's New Technology Group (NTG).  Definitely one of the highlights of my career as I had the opportunity to partner with the Sr. Leadership team on various HR business initiatives. Overall, working for Intel was a great experience!

       

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, and traveling. Some of my favorite vacation spots include: Hawaii, Barcelona, Italy, and Paris.

Throughout my life I've always been involved in giving back to the community, so upon retiring from Intel I expressed interest in doing an Encore assignment.  Intel connected me with an Encore Fellowship. I learned about Hands4Hope and was very impressed with their Mission/Vision, and all the great things they are doing in the community. They happened to  have an HR Encore Fellowship assignment available which aligned with my skill set.

I hope to learn from the Hands4Hope leadership team, lend support to help drive Hands4Hope goals forward, provide HR Consultation (as needed), develop training material, mentor youth, and assist with fundraisers. I look forward to meeting new people and having fun!

Sponsor Spotlight :: Gift of Kids

We would like to thank Gift of Kids Daycare and Preschool for their continued support as one of our sponsors.  The Gift of Kids offers preschool, daycare, as well as before- and after-school care from ages 6 weeks to 10 years old.  They have an advanced successful curriculum with warm loving teachers that care about the needs of our little ones.  They also offer field trips during the summer months for school agers and Infant care for moms returning to work.

Owner Jennifer Kelly says, “The Gift of Kids started as an in-home daycare in 1999 when I couldn’t find "good daycare" for my son and pregnant with my daughter.  My in-home daycare has gone from 8 kids to now 200 kids and a beautiful large daycare center with 32 wonderful teachers.  

I sponsor Hands4Hope because I believe in our community giving back.  Hands4Hope is local and works with all ages to show support where it is needed.”  

Youth Spotlight :: Kenzie Misso

Kenzie Misso, 15, is a sophomore at Oak Ridge High School and has been with Hands4Hope for 5 years.  She is currently one of the youth leaders for Team Hope (the Hands4Hope elementary school club), the chair of the Homeless Outreach Committee, and a member of the Hands4Hope Youth Board. We recently interviewed Kenzie to learn about her experiences with Hands4Hope and here’s what she had to say...

What were the reasons you joined Hands4Hope?

Initially, I joined because I was looking for opportunities to get community service hours, but I chose Hands4Hope specifically because I loved how I, as a kid, had a say in the projects we did. Now Hands4Hope is more than just community service to me, it is an organization that has taught me so much about the needs in the community and the impact that I can make in other people's lives even though I'm just a kid.

It's so great to hear youth are really engaged with our program, why did you choose to do more than just volunteer at events?

I chose to do more than just volunteer at events because I wanted to be able to further explore the needs of the community and make a bigger impact in the areas I feel passionate about. Also, I feel that the leadership experience I gain as a Hands4Hope leader will be valuable in every aspect of my life.

What opportunities/skill building do you think Hands4Hope provides you scholastically, socially, and in life?

The opportunities that Hands4Hope has given me are endless. As a kid, I was pretty shy, especially when talking to adults, but I now am confident in expressing my ideas and opinions and speaking in front of crowds. Working with Hands4Hope has also taught me so much about understanding the importance of compassion, empathy, and helping those who are in need.

Overall, what has your experience been like since joining?

My experience with Hands4Hope has been so much more valuable than I ever could have imagined. Not only have I gained skills that will help me in school, sports, and work, I have gained friendships with people who I may not even have met without Hands4Hope. I have gotten to work on projects that most teenagers would never dream of doing and have met so many inspiring people. Volunteering with Hands4Hope is such an awesome experience and has shown me how much I love to make a difference in the lives of others.

I'm so thankful to be a part of such an amazing organization and to have all the opportunities that I do. I'm so lucky to be able to work with such great people and make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Hands4Hope Spring Toiletries Drive

Hands4Hope hosted several drives to collect toiletries for local charities, the homeless, and deployed soldiers.  These efforts included a our annual Elementary Toiletries Drive in February, collecting 196 pounds from Silva Valley Elementary and 64 pounds from Green Valley Elementary.  During this time, members of the National Charity League donated 22 pounds.  The Hands4Hope Homeless Committee also hosted a Toiletries Drive, collecting 106 pounds.  The Neighborhood Toiletries Scavenger Hunt collected another 83 pounds.  Altogether, 471 pounds have been collected.  

Thank you to all who donated and volunteered at these events!

Hands4Hope Youth Board Plans and Hosts A Successful Fundraiser Benefiting The Sweet Dreams Foundation

The Hands4Hope Youth Board hosted their 6th annual benefit event, A Brunch’a Dreams, raising $4,378.  The event was on Saturday morning March 10th at the Cameron Park CSD.  Seventy percent of the proceeds will benefit The Sweet Dreams Foundation and the balance of the funds raised will help fund the H4H Leadership Program for incoming 2017-18 leaders.

The Hands4Hope Youth Board is supporting The Sweet Dreams Foundation in 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’s goal is to fund two dream bedrooms for two local children, as well as help hands-on with the room makeover project.

Jennifer Donchenco, Founder and CEO of Sweet Dreams Foundation expressed her excitement, "We had a blast at the Brunch’a Dreams!!!  Hands4Hope Youth are incredible!  Very well organized, beautiful raffle prizes, DELICIOUS FOOD, but most important EVERYONE was friendly and inviting, pure hearts wanting to raise money for Reese and Nikki's Dream Bedrooms!”

Among the 180 guests who attended was 7 year-old Reese, who will be the recipient of a new  gymnastics-themed dream bedroom funded through money raised the A Brunch’a Dreams event! Guests enjoyed a French toast bar, live music, raffle baskets featuring donations from local business and a fun, interactive pastry walk.

Sarah Connor, H4H Youth Board President, explains, “After putting countless hours into the event that included hand making the decorations, contacting businesses for sponsorships and people to attend, and working out all the details to make sure our event would run smoothly, it was so rewarding to see so many people (nearly 200) enjoying our hard work! The family of the girl we were benefitting complimented the decor (color scheme and effect of the stories) and overall feel of the brunch which meant a lot to us. We tried so hard to showcase what Sweet Dreams Foundation does.”

Hands4Hope would like to thank their event and table sponsors: Pioneer Cleaning Services, El Dorado Community Foundation, Essex Mortgage, Morris Law Group, Serrano Associates, LLC, Western Sign Company, Cafe Santoro, and Barsotti Juice Company. In addition, a thank you to the raffle basket donors: Spotted Dog Yoga,We Olive, Snooks, Samuel Horne’s Tavern, Atrium Spa, Milestone Restaurant, Mary Kay, Gold Country Artists, Randolf Jewelers, Bowtie Barber Shop, Man Cave Placerville, Elements Hair Salon, Eco Logical, Bookery, Hangtown Originals, Placerville News Company, Thomas Kinkade, Delloree’s Confections, Lighthouse, Lobos Del Mar, Sierra Mountain, Window Box Antiques, The Shabby Rabbit, Hangtown Antiques, Volution Gallery, Art Studio 360, Mongolian BBQ EDH, Coldstone EDH, Atrium Spa. Hands4Hope also thanks Cameron Park CSD for the venue, Nathan Grimmenstein for performing live at the event, and the many community members who donated fresh baked goods.  

Hands4Hope is a non-profit, youth driven outreach and service learning organization based in El Dorado County.  The organization’s mission is to empower youth to make a positive difference in the world around them through Exploration, Action and Leadership.  Hands4Hope is comprised of youth participants ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade.  For more information, visit www.hands4hopeyouth.org or call the Hands4Hope Youth Center at 916-294-7426.

Hands4Hope & Independence High School Work to Partner to Engage At-Risk Students with the Community

Hands4Hope and Independence High School are working to partner on a program that will connect students to their community, build life skills, and help reduce the dropout rates. The program will have the capacity to include up to 30 students, grades 9-12, at this continuation school where nearly 100% of the student body is at risk and can benefit greatly from the various facets of the Hands4Hope Service Learning Club program. H4H and Independence HS are currently seeking funding to bring this program to fruition. Preliminary work is in process and once secured, this program will launch immediately.

For 9 years, Hands4Hope has empowered youth to bring about meaningful change in their communities through its Youth Leadership Model: Explore, Act, Lead: Youth explore social issues surrounding them, take action by choosing and designing service projects, then lead these projects from start to finish — everything from food and clothing drives to anti-bullying campaigns. In the process youth learn critical skills like leadership, communication, collaboration, budgeting, and problem solving.  

Once a month, Youth participants spend time with seniors with various levels of dementia, at Ramona "Moni" Gilmore Senior Center in El Dorado Hills socializing, helping with arts and craft activities, and playing games.

Youth participants host a dinner once a month at Sister Nora's Place, who provides long-term shelter and case management for women with a history of homelessness, trauma and serious mental and physical illness.  They bring either a prepared or ready to cook dinner for the female residents and one staff member.  Once dinner is ready everyone sits down for a for family style dinner. Hands4Hope Youth Participants are encouraged to engage the residents in conversation or just talk to them to help bring a bright spot to their day.

Hands4Hope teaches youth how to be civic minded leaders and during the process they learn critical skills like communication, collaboration, and problem solving. They also learn about themselves, each other, and the community around them in ways not otherwise possible.

Since inception, Hands4Hope has served 5,000 youth. Youth are drawn to this program because it is youth led, with guidance from trained adult mentors. This autonomy gives them a sense of independence, power, and relevant contribution. Hands4Hope provides the opportunity for students to make a meaningful connection between factual and experiential learning, between exploring a social problem and actively working to solve it.

As students develop and implement a project, they gain the skills essential for academic and work success . . . personal attributes including time management, realistic and collaborative planning, and follow-through on projects. Individual participants gain as their sense of self-esteem, confidence, and self-sufficiency grows. Nowhere is this more important than our work with at-risk youth.

Once needed resources are secured, Hands4Hope will work with the administration at Independence High School to facilitate implementation of this program through a “club” at Independence High School campus in the El Dorado Union High School District. Independence is a continuation high school that provides an alternative education for students who have fallen behind in studies and may be in danger of not graduating. It is a Title 1 school, with 114 students enrolled and 64% of the population classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged.

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act encourages implementation of: “programs for positive youth development that assist delinquent and other at-risk youth in obtaining: (1) a sense of safety and structure; (2) a sense of belonging and membership; (3) a sense of self-worth and social contribution; (4) a sense of independence and control over one’s life; and (5) a sense of closeness in interpersonal relationships.” (Positive Youth Development, Coalition for Juvenile Justice), Hands4Hope provides all of those things.

Alison Gennai, Independence High principal explains, “Almost all our students are considered at-risk in one way or another, from being credit deficient and in danger of not graduating on time, potentially crippling substance abuse issues, to dealing with serious socio-emotional obstacles that can derail their ultimate academic success.”

Principal Gennai continues, “We strive to create a program where students ignite their self-esteem and begin to view themselves as capable and valuable community contributors. A service learning program like Hands4Hope can be a very powerful tool to help us on this mission.”  

This service learning program will have the capacity to include up to 30 students, grades 9-12. Beyond this, the students will create and implement service projects that will impact 100+ individuals in need.

For more information on this program or to help fund it for this year and/or future years, please email info@hands4hopeyouth.org or call 916-919-5695.