June Sponsor Spotlight: Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan with three million members, 5,000 employees, and $10.5 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California provides health, life, dental, vision, and Medicare insurance and health care service plans in California. Blue Shield of California was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2012 and 2013. Since 2005, the company has contributed more than $200 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation, one of BusinessWeek's most generous corporate foundations.

Blue Shield first became involved with Hands4Hope three years ago as a sponsor of the Hands4Hope Haunted House. In 2012, Charles Sharp, a Blue Shield Director of Finance, joined the board of directors and in February 2013, our employees held a dress drive and collected over 200 dresses for Hands4Hope to support teenage girls with prom dresses and adult women with dresses for work or interviews.

"I was introduced to Hands4Hope by T. Abraham and Jen Bassett (founder) in 2011. I was drawn to the organization by their mission to "grow the next generation of socially responsible citizens by engaging youth in community outreach" Hands4Hope is all about youth making a difference in the community," said Charles Sharp.

We are very grateful for the support from Blue Shield of California as a Platinum Sponsor!

Volunteer Spotlight: David Enzler

Meet David Enzler, the 2013/2014 Youth Board Vice President for Hands4Hope.  David was motivated to take on the responsibility as Vice President to effect change, lead, and impact the lives of others. 

"The charisma and drive of the other Youth Board members serves as a source of inspiration to me," said David.  "They support me and push me to be the best person I can."

David's involvement with Hands4Hope began earlier this year when his friend Jordan Caldwell, current President of the Union Mine High School Hands4Hope Club, asked David to take on the role of treasurer.  David agreed because he saw it as a new challenge and opportunity.

David will be a Senior at Union Mine High School this fall. He helped his Club run a drive to collect donations for the Boys and Girls Club, as well as Fat Kitty City, and distributed baked goods to encourage donations. He also worked with the Youth Board to organize the annual spaghetti feed, hosted last April.

What is David's favorite Hands4Hope volunteer activity?  That was an easy one.  "By far my favorite volunteer activities are the homeless outreaches. They put me out of my element and give me the chance to interact directly with the communities that are in need," said David. 

David has a real passion for debating.  "Debate has greatly aided my public speaking skills and made me comfortable in front of large crowds," said David.  His favorite subject in school is English and Language.  This summer you will find David outside mountain biking and swimming on the coast.

After high school David hopes to attend New York University where he will study business and finance. "I hope to be able to travel around the globe, because I am always looking for new experiences and opportunities to learn from other cultures," said David. 

Until then, you will see a lot more of David in the Hands4Hope community, helping, leading, and motivating people as the Youth Board Vice President and Union Mine Club Treasurer.  

Placerville Homeless Feed

2013 Spaghetti Feed 

Youth Board Leadership Seminar

Youth Board Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser Raises $3,000

This year the Hands4Hope Youth Board hosted the second annual Spaghetti Feed fundraiser to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) and Hands4Hope charities.  The evening was a major success, raising nearly $3,000.   There were 175 people in attendance to enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner served by the Hands4Hope Youth Board. 

“The Youth Board did an amazing job getting food donations, a raffle, and a fun dessert auction that profited a great cause,” said Emily Abraham, Youth Board President for the Spaghetti Feed.  “BBBS does so much to help change the lives of at-risk youth, and they really appreciate the support of the community.”

Members of the Hands4Hope Youth Board spoke as well as the Executive Director or BBBS, Judy Knapp. A BBBS “Big and Little” shared their testimony, which was truly touching.  A little boy explained how he spends every birthday with his Big Brother, and they have even been to Disneyland together.

Hands4Hope would like to thank the following sponsors for their contribution to the Spaghetti Feed fundraiser: Western Sign Company; Wells Fargo Financial Services; Bel Air Camaeron Park; Macaroni Grill; and Clarity Audio and Visual. 

“Our Youth Board did an incredible job planning and executing the success of this event,” said Jennifer Basset, CEO of Hands4Hope.  “The venue was beautiful, check-in ran smoothly, the food was delicious, and the program was wonderful.  In addition to putting on a great event, they made almost $3,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Hands4Hope projects.”

An ORHS student singer amazed us all for the entertainment!

The dessert auction was a huge success!

2 of our fabulous adult volunteers, Inga and Mary Ann

Our hard working Youth Board!!

Volunteer Spotlight: Aden and Lauren

Aden and Lauren are only nine and seven years old, but they are already making big contributions to their community.  These two youth volunteers have been involved in Hands4Hope for nearly two years, helping in many of the community outreach programs.

When asked what kinds of volunteer work they do for Hands4Hope, Aden and Lauren explained that they feed the homeless, raise money for food shelters, make care packages for soldiers and make blankets for shelters and dog toys for homeless dogs. 

Aden and Lauren attend Jackson Elementary School in first and third grades, where they are involved in the Toiletries Drive.  “We collect soap, conditioner, sunscreen, diapers, toilet paper and toothbrushes to donate to those people who don’t have them but need them,” said Aden and Lauren. 

Lauren said that her favorite volunteer outreach with Hands4Hope is feeding the homeless and making cards for them, adding “but almost everything at Hands4Hope is really fun.” 

Aden likes meeting up with his friends at The Team Hope elementary school club to decide on a new volunteer project to do.  This year, Aden is very excited to be involved in raising money for the Heifer Project. 

Heifer Project is an organization that takes animals to villages in third world countries. Rather than bringing them food and clothing, the organization teaches them how to use these animals as a means to make money. The village people have to reproduce these animals and give them to someone in their village.

“The kids set a goal to raise $80 to buy rabbits and chicks,” explained Katie, Aden and Lauren’s mom.  “So far, Team Hope has exceeded their goal so the kids will meet to vote on what to buy with the additional money.  The choice is either more animals for Heifer Project, or cat food for the Fat Kitty City organization.”

When not volunteering for Hands4Hope, Aden enjoys reading books, playing soccer and baseball, and his favorite subject in school in math.  When he grows up, Aden would like to invent a flying car with monster engines on its side. 

Lauren said that soccer is her favorite activity, while demonstrating a very awesome looking soccer kick.  She also loves gymnastics, singing, dancing and shopping.  Shopping for what?  “Clothes! She loves clothes,” said her brother Aden.  When Lauren grows up, she would like to be a real estate agent and a grocery store checker. 

“I love that my children are involved with Hands4Hope because it has given them a different perspective on the world that parents struggle to get across just using words,” said their mom. “My kids now spend a lot more time doing things for others, and they now realize that not everyone is as fortunate as we are. They are also learning about setting goals and working as a group towards a greater good.”

Successful Food Blitz helps feed hungry families

Dear Jen & Hands4Hope,

The food drive last weekend was truly awesome for TLFB! We were out of or low on so many basic needs and the 2,125 pounds of food filled our shelves back up. We served 203 families this week & I don't know how we could have with out your generosity and care for others. You make a difference to many!

In Joy,

Tammy

Executive Director of the Twin Lakes Food Bank

Above is a thank you card we received from Tammy this week. We collected $7690 in cash and gift cards, as well as 3,078 pounds of food for the El Dorado County Food Bank and Twin Lakes Food Bank in Folsom at our Spring Food Blitz. 

More than one hundred Hands4Hope volunteers worked at various grocery stores from Folsom to Placerville, collecting gift cards, cash, and food donations to help feed the hungry. Volunteers handed out a wish list of items needed at local food banks, and generous shoppers added those items to their cart.

“Each time Hands4Hope puts on the Food Blitz, I am reminded what an amazingly generous community we have,” says Executive Director of Hands4Hope, Jennifer Bassett. “In a short six hours, on the day before Easter, 120 volunteers collected almost two tons of food and over $7,000. Thank you to the volunteers who gave of their time and to those in the community who generously supported this cause.”

Money and gift cards are split between the food banks, local agencies assisting to feed the hungry and Hands4Hope outreach programs. Hands4Hope would like to thank the many volunteers and generous donors who made the Food Blitz such a success.

Sponsor Spotlight: Seafloor Systems

"Seafloor Systems, Inc. was formed in Portland, OR in 1999 by veteran naval hydrographer John Tamplin to provide hydrographic survey equipment and consulting to survey companies in the Pacific Northwest. Specializing in geophysical survey equipment, we have built up the largest multibeam echosounder rental pool in the US. We now provide the full spectrum of equipment, software, personnel, training, and support.

We specialize in marine equipment rental and sales for a range of applications including multibeam echosounders, geophysical surveying; hydrographic surveying, tide and wave gauges; acoustic positioning and software. Our personnel are available to provide installation, operation and data processing assistance. Our personnel come from some of the top hydrographic training institutions in North America (University of New Brunswick, Cal State Monterey Bay, NOAA, and the University of Oregon). Combined, we have completed more than one million line-miles of multibeam survey.

Since the forming of Seafloor Systems, our company has been giving charitable funds to many different causes. Our philosophy is to maintain a strong relationship within our local community. We recognize the need for a youth driven, outreach organization like Hands4Hope. We have sponsored the Hands4Hope Premiere Dinner Costume Ball and are currently a Platinum Sponsor. In December 2012, we received a "Certificate of Appreciation" from Hands4Hope and we are truly honored. Our work with Hands4Hope will continue to be a standing commitment and a reflection of our involvement with the members of our community."

We are very grateful for the support from Seafloor Systems as a Platinum Sponsor!

Youth Volunteer Spotlight: Julia

Julia, a sophomore at Ponderosa High School, was introduced by one of her good friends to Hands4Hope a few years ago. She volunteered a couple of times at our Food Blitz for the Hungry before jumping in head first last year and helping to plan a Fashion Show Fundraiser with a few of her friends.

Their Fashion Show was wildly successful, raising more than $2,000 for The Glass Slipper, a local program to help build self-esteem in young women. "There were a lot of challenges planning this," said Julia. "Learning to work together and be responsible was hard. But, we learned a lot about leadership and for me, I learned how to talk to people, especially businesses and adults, and I am definitely more comfortable doing that now."

Last year, Julia and her friends were approached to take on leading the Ponderosa High School Hands4Hope Club. They accepted and joined the Youth Board and went to the leadership retreat to kick off the year. "It was a lot of fun. I especially have enjoyed getting to know everyone from the different schools. I have made friends that I wouldn't have known otherwise."

The Ponderosa H4H Club has two main focuses for the year. In November, all 17 members worked together to plan a Homeless Outreach in Placerville. They got the food donated and caravanned to the outreach together. "It was really cool how everyone was willing to meet up on a Saturday in the pouring rain," she said. "It was a great opportunity to spend time together and for us all to see what Hands4Hope is all about."

Coming up on May 8th, the club is hosting Family Fiesta Night at the United Methodist Baptist Church in Cameron Park. Their goal is to raise $1,000 for New Morning Shelter Youth & Family Services in Placerville.

Julia enjoys doing several of the Outreaches Hands4Hope offers. She said each one of them are fun for different reasons, but she really enjoys the direct interaction she gets to have with those she is serving at the events like the Homeless Outreach and Green Valley Community Church Saturday and Kid's Cafe.

"I have gained a lot out of Hands4Hope," she said. "Most importantly, I have learned that I like being in leadership. I never knew that about myself before and I had no experience with it. I have learned how to take a project, break it down and make it happen."

When asked why she enjoys getting others involved with Hands4Hope, she said it's all about spreading the compassion. "I want people to realize what others in our community go through. Before I got involved with Hands4Hope, I did not understand. Most importantly, when you're involved (with Hands4Hope) you can actually make a difference in people's lives!"

Julia, thank you for your dedication to Hands4Hope, we are so lucky to have you!

 Mid-Year Youth Board Retreat, 2013

Fashion Show Fundraiser