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.

Volunteer Spotlight: Riley Peick

Riley is one of our college-aged interns, assisting Hands4Hope this summer.  Riley Peick currently lives in El Dorado Hills for the summer and will be returning to Saint Louis University (St. Louis, Missouri) in the fall to continue his studies in Business.  

Riley moved to California the middle of his sophomore year of high school and attended Sacramento-based Jesuit High School until graduating. Wanting to continue his Jesuit education, Riley decided to attend Saint Louis University. This is where his passion for service really kicked off!  Joining a learning community called Micah, he was able to find a permanent service site and a lot of other fun and rewarding service events, much like Hands4Hope has.

"I got to go on a service learning trip to Honduras in January that was focused on microfinance and poverty alleviation for those living in extreme poverty. Already wanting to become an economics professor one day, this trip added to my desire to learn more about economic development and use my business degree for something beneficial to help the world's 3 billion people who live on less than two dollars a day!" exclaims Riley.

As Riley returned home to El Dorado Hills, he wanted to continue his service work and asked to intern with Hands4Hope for the summer​.  "I chose to volunteer at Hands4Hope because it reminded me a lot of what I had done in college. I love to help plan service experiences and Hands4Hope was a perfect fit for me," says Riley.

Riley ​is in the process of leading Hands4Hope's first School Supply Drive and has done a phenomonal job!  "Riley has taken his summer internship with Hands4Hope to another level! His commitment to service and the youth involved with Hands4Hope is evident through his continued and tireless efforts.  Riley has been an instrumental leader in the 1^st annual Hands4Hope School Supply Drive. As a result of his commitment, coordination and planning we are confident that many students in El Dorado County will be prepared and ready for the 2014-2015 school year!" explains Nicole Craine, our Youth Development Coordinator. 

Mikan, our Outreach Coorindator, further adds "Riley’s enthusiasm and willingness to not just help, but to take on the responsibility of handling details, has made our summer events much more successful.  We’ll miss him when he returns to school!"

Thank you Riley for all your hard work and commitment to Hands4Hope!

Volunteer Spotlight: Ethan Weiner

Ethan and his family in their Hands4Hope t-shirts.

Ethan Weiner is an incoming freshman at Ponderosa High School and comes from a highly involved Hands4Hope family. His sister helped start the H4H Club at Union Mine High School and his mother serves on the H4H Board of Directors. After seeing their experiences, Ethan, along with some friends, decided to start a H4H Club at Herbert Green Middle School. Ethan said, “I saw the opportunity to start the Hands4Hope Club at Herbert Green as my friend and I were looking for a way to give back to our community and there were no opportunities to volunteer at our school that I knew of.” 

With guidance from Jennifer Bassett and the youth development coordinator, Ethan and his friends were able to hit the ground running. The first project the group voted to support was to help foster children with supplies they might need (clothes, school supplies, etc.). After a group breakout session and discussion, they decided to host a carnival, with games and prizes to bring in donations for their project.  “The carnival was a huge success and we learned how difficult it is to organize and promote an event. I believe the lessons learned will help me in the future when I join the Club at Ponderosa in the fall and then on in life,” stated Ethan.

When asked about his experience with Hands4Hope Ethan responded, “By being involved with Hands4Hope it has changed my perspective as to what a leader is and how anybody can be a leader. I look forward to continuing to give back to my community for years to come and bettering my leadership skills while continuing with H4H. I hope to assist in H4H expanding throughout our local community and more. I really enjoyed bringing the H4H Club to Herbert Green and hope it lives for years to come.”

Thank you Ethan for all you do with Hands4Hope!

To see the Hands4Hope Club at Herbert Green Middle School in action CLICK HERE!

Hands4Hope's 1st Annual School Drive

(Looking for distribution events?  Scroll to bottom)

The Details:

The 1st annual Hands4Hope School Supply Drive will benefit children in need in El Dorado County. Hands4Hope youth leaders & volunteers will work with local business, agencies  and community members to collect items such as: backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens, scissors, glue sticks, binder paper, construction paper, Kleenex and other school supply items.

Our Goal:

The goal for this event is to provide a backpack filled with necessary school supplies to each child in need before school begins in early August 2014.  To match previous collection efforts made by The Placerville Union School District the drive will need to collect enough school supplies and backpacks to serve 240 students (K-8^th grades). However, the El Dorado Union High School District has expressed great interest in Hands4Hope expanding the drive to also provide school supplies to students in grades 9-12^th.

List of Greatest Needs:

• Backpacks
• Composition books
• Pens
• Pencils
• Red Pens
• Folders
• Enclosed pencil sharpeners
• Glue sticks
• Construction paper
• Kleenex
• Binder paper
• Dry erase markers
• Highlighters

Events & Actions:

Community Donation Bins:

Hands4Hope donation bins for community donations of school supplies will be available July 14-August 3, 2014 at the following business and/or agencies:

•    Starbucks (2215 Francisco Dr, EDH)
•    Starbucks (4311 Town Center Blvd, EDH)
•    El Dorado Hills Fire Station #84 (Francisco Drive, EDH)
•    El Dorado Hills Fire Station #85 (Wilson Dr, EDH)
•    El Dorado Hills Fire Station #86 (Bass Lake Drive, EDH)
•    El Dorado Hills Fire Station #87 (Golden Foothill Pkway, EDH)
•    St. Stephens Church (Olsen Ln, EDH)
•    Lakehills Church (Rossmore Ln, EDH)
•    EDH Library (Silva Valley Pkwy, EDH)
•    California Welcome Center (Town Center, EDH)
•    Round Table (Town Center (Town Center, EDH)
•    Zia’s (Town Center, EDH)
•    Community Service District (El Dorado Hills Blvd, EDH)
•    Rock’n Frogs (2201 Francisco Dr, EDH)
•    US Bank (1020 White Rock Road) 
•    El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department (300 Fair lane road Placerville)

Neighborhood School Supply Blitz:

On July 19^th (9:00am-12:00pm) Hands4Hope youth volunteers will lead a Neighborhood School Supply Blitz by Distributing 1,200 Hands4Hope School Supply Fliers along with donation bags to residents in three local communities (Blackstone, Promontory, and Four Seasons). Volunteers will return to those neighborhoods on July 29^th (9:00am-12:00pm) to collect donation bags. 

Tabling Events:

Office Max-On July 27th and August 3^rd (12:00-2:00pm) youth volunteers in partnership with Office Max will set up a donation table in front of the Office Max located at 3041 Forni Rd Placerville. Patrons will be able to purchase prepackaged supply kits ready for donation.Sam’s Club- On July 27^th (12:00-2:00pm) youth volunteers will set up a donation table in front of the Sam’s Club located at 2495 Iron Point Rd, Folsom. Patrons will be able to purchase requested school supplies and donate as they leave the store.

How you can help:

     1. Purchase the items in greatest need
 

     2. Drop off at any of the Community Donation Bins.If you live in the El Dorado Hills' communities for the Neighborhood School Supply Blitz, leave the items on your doorstep during the collection time.Or visit us at any of the Table Events.

Distribution Events:

To register for either event, click here.

Sponsor Spotlight - Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield employees volunteering at the  Winter Boutique

 

As a mission-driven company, Blue Shield of California has dedicated itself serving the community. Through our “Shield Cares” program, we empower employees to become active volunteers where they live and work. The El Dorado Hills office supports several organizations in the Sacramento area, including the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, Center for Violence Free Relationships, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Twin Lakes Food Bank, Triumph Cancer Foundation and Hands4Hope.

Blue Shield first supported Hands4Hope three years ago as a sponsor of its Haunted House. Blue Shield Director of Finance Charles Sharp joined the organization’s board of directors in 2012, and in February, a dress drive was held in El Dorado Hills. Later this summer, Sharp’s team will work with H4H to provide lunch, toiletries and clothing to the homeless population in the Sacramento area. Blue Shield’s sponsorship also contributed to the H4H youth center.

“I was introduced to Hands4Hope by T. Abraham and Jen Bassett in 2011, and was immediately drawn to their mission of social responsibility and bringing hope and opportunity to young people,” said Sharp. “Hands4Hope is all about making a difference for the next generation.”

About 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 3.3 million members, 5,000 employees and $10.8 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, 2013 and 2014. The company has contributed more than $325 million over the past ten years to the Blue Shield of California Foundation, one of BusinessWeek's most generous corporate foundations. Contact your local agent or broker about Blue Shield of California products and services, or visit www.blueshieldca.com.