Hands4Hope-Youth Making a Difference is currently looking for youth community members interested in joining our After-School Education Program Project Committees. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference has four year-long committees, as well as four seasonal committees, each targeting a specific area of need within the community. Year-long committees meet evenings once or twice per month throughout the year to research, plan and carry out various projects within the committees designated area of need (homeless, children, etc.). Seasonal committees operate on a much more condensed timeline and have different goals than year long committees. Seasonal committees are focused on a specific event like the School Supply Drive for example. Currently all after-school committee meetings are held via ZOOM, with some in-person sorting and planning. COVID-19 safety guidelines are always followed for in-person events.
The following are our Year-long Committees:
ASPIRE Outfitters Committee - The newest addition to our after-school program, the ASPIRE Outfitters Committee, is a partnership between Hands4Hope - Youth Making a Difference and ASPIREKids. ASPIRE Outfitters is based out of the Hands4Hope Placerville Youth Center and provides much needed clothes to vulnerable youth. Committee participants will have the opportunity to identify and create processes for ASPIRE Outfitters, including donation intake, organization and storage of donated items, requests from partner agencies, and the packaging and distribution of clothing. In addition to this, the committee will identify needed items and create events and campaigns to collect or raise funds to fill the needs. If you are interested in this committee, please complete our 2021 - 2022 ASPIRE Outfitters Committee Interest Survey.
Children’s Committee - This committee will research needs in the community related to children and partner with other nonprofits and/or human service agencies to plan and execute projects and outreaches that fill unmet needs. In previous years, this committee has been split into two smaller committees, the Project Birthday and Kid's Oasis Committees. This year those committees will be joining forces to create a greater impact on children in need in the community. Committee participants will create craft projects, coordinate games, host fundraisers and mentor children at Kid's Oasis, (the bi-monthly children’s program at Green Valley Community Church in Placerville) as well as host monthly birthday parties, complete with decorations, games, and cake for any children having birthdays who are residents of an affordable housing complex in El Dorado Hills. If you are interested in this committee, please complete our 2021 - 2022 Children's Committee Interest Survey.
Emergency Food Pantry Committee - The mission of the Hands4Hope Emergency Food Pantry is to provide families experiencing food insecurity on the western slope of El Dorado County with nourishing food and nutrition education. The Emergency Food Pantry Committee works to develop and maintain the processes of running a food pantry to support families in need while working with partner agencies such as the El Dorado County Office of Education and Twin Lakes and Placer Food Banks. The committee is responsible for the collection of non perishable, nourishing food through planning and hosting food drives within the community. In addition, the committee also manages all operations of the pantry located within the Hands4Hope Placerville Youth Center. If you are interested in this committee, please complete our 2021 - 2022 Emergency Food Pantry Committee Interest Survey.
Homeless Support Committee - The Homeless Support Committee has a diverse set of goals, from providing sack lunches at outreach events in Sacramento, to project proposals that encourage local grocery stores to donate food to homeless services. It plans to increase awareness around the needs of the homeless community and support services in El Dorado and Sacramento Counties, and is open to any ideas that can directly impact individuals coping with homelessness. If you are interested in learning more about the issue as well as interacting and supporting people experiencing homelessness, creating projects that benefit local homeless support services, or addressing the systemic issues of homelessness on a governmental level, this is a committee that will help you hone those skills while working and interacting with other youth who are passionate about this issue. If you are interested in this committee, please complete our 2021 - 2022 Homeless Support Committee Interest Survey.
These are our Seasonal Committees:
School Supply Committee - The School Supply Committee is now forming and will start meeting in early May thru early August. Participants will work with local businesses and organizations to collect donations for the upcoming school year. This committee is open to youth going into 7th grade or higher in the 2021 - 2022 school year and entirely youth-led (with the help of adult mentors). Committee participants will develop advertising, market for and host the Hands4Hope 7th annual School Supply Drive, as well as the annual School Supply Distribution Day to benefit students in need. The School Supply Distribution Day will be held at Schnell School on Friday August 6th, 2021. If you are interested in this committee, please complete our 2021 School Supply Committee Interest Survey.
Fall Festival Fundraiser Planning Committee - The project team for this fundraising event will be organized to replicate a functioning event planning/production company with the end product being an entertaining, fun, and family friendly Fall Festival (think Apple Hill in El Dorado Hills). The goals for this project are to raise funds, build leadership skills, and have fun. Youth leaders will be in charge of each subcommittee. Each subcommittee will be in charge of and responsible for a different part of the project. Subcommittees will be made up of students in middle and high school from El Dorado & Sacramento Counties, and each will have at least one adult mentor. Subcommittee choices are: Operations & Finance, Games & Activities, Marketing & Fundraising, and Volunteer Management. This committee will meet June thru early October. If you are interested in this committee, please complete our
Winter Boutique Committee - Winter Boutique Committee participants plan, advertise, set up, and volunteer for Hands4Hope’s annual Winter Boutique in El Dorado Hills. The committee will work together to create a fun and magical boutique-like shop. The committee will select a theme, decor and design how the space will be laid out. This event is where many local foster families and families experiencing hardship come to “shop” for warm clothes, shoes, and blankets. This committee will be a short term commitment from mid September through mid-December, meeting 2 times a month or more, depending on projects. The interest survey for this committee will be shared in August 2021.
Ryan Christopher Hersh Memorial Scholarship Committee - Ryan Christopher Hersh was an active participant with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference and the goal of this scholarship is to continue his legacy by giving youth with limited means the opportunity to attend a summer camp in which they will be able to further develop an interest or skill. This committee starts to meet in February each year and is composed of youth in middle school and high school from El Dorado and Sacramento Counties. Members of this committee will be responsible for determining criteria for scholarships, creating and distributing the RCH Scholarship Application, marketing the scholarship program, reviewing completed applications, and awarding scholarships, while managing the program budget. The interest survey for this committee will be shared in January 2022.
If you are interested in joining one of these after-school committees or for more information about the Hands4Hope - Youth Making a Difference Education Program, please visit our website at www.hands4hopeyouth.org or email Melissa Placek, After-School Education Program Coordinator at melissap@hands4hopeyouth.org