Donor Spotlight: Parker Development Company

6 hours ago
3 min read

By Andrea Howard, representative of Parker Development Company and past chair of the Hands4Hope Board of Directors

Hands4Hope is so appreciative of your longstanding partnership! Why do you continue to support Hands4Hope?

Parker Development Company supports Hands4Hope because we believe in the power of investing in young people. When you give youth the opportunity to lead, serve, and make decisions about issues that matter to them, you aren’t simply helping them today—you are helping shape the kind of adults and community leaders they will become.

That is what stands out to me about Hands4Hope. The young people aren’t just participants; they have a voice. They identify needs, find solutions, work together, and take action. They are learning that their ideas matter and that they have the ability to make a difference.

Serrano–Parker Development has always believed in giving back to the communities we build, and supporting youth is one of the most meaningful ways we can do that. We are proud to partner with an organization that is helping young people discover their strengths, develop confidence, and realize that leadership isn’t about having a title—it’s about having the courage to make a difference.

Why is our shared commitment to serving the local community so important to you?

A strong community doesn’t happen by accident. It is built by people who care about one another and are willing to invest their time, talents, and resources to make it better.

We also know that the teenage years can be complicated. Young people are figuring out who they are, where they fit, and what they have to offer the world. Having a place where they feel accepted, supported, and heard can make an enormous difference.

Hands4Hope creates that place. It gives youth a sense of belonging while encouraging them to look beyond themselves and see where they can help others. I love that the organization combines those two things—personal growth and community impact. Young people are building confidence and finding their voices while, at the same time, making our community a better place.

That is a partnership we are proud to be part of.

What is your favorite thing about Hands4Hope?

Without question, it is the youth.

I am continually impressed by the young people I meet through Hands4Hope. They are thoughtful, curious, compassionate, and willing to step outside their comfort zones. They bring their own interests and strengths to the table, and then use them to help solve problems that affect other people.

On a personal level, that resonates deeply with me. As a teenager, I didn't have much confidence in what I could do, and I wasn't involved in many extracurricular activities. I often felt like I didn't quite fit in. Looking back, I wish I had an organization like Hands4Hope—a place where someone could have helped me recognize my strengths, encouraged me to try new things, and shown me that making mistakes is simply part of learning.

That is what I find so powerful about Hands4Hope. It doesn't just tell young people they can make a difference. It gives them the opportunity to prove it to themselves.

Tell us about your company/organization.

Parker Development Company is a third-generation, family-owned company that has been creating communities in the greater Sacramento region for more than 60 years. Our history includes Greenhaven and Riverlake in Sacramento and The Parkway at Folsom.

Our connection to El Dorado Hills runs especially deep. We began developing the 3,500-acre Serrano community in the early 1990s. After three decades, El Dorado Hills is much more than a place where we have a project. It is a community we have watched grow and evolve—and one that we feel fortunate to be part of.

That is why supporting organizations like Hands4Hope is so important to us. We believe that building a community is about much more than creating places for people to call home. It is about helping create a place where people—and especially the next generation—can thrive.