The Markham Middle School Hands4Hope Club hosted a detergent pod and feminine hygiene drive to benefit families through El Dorado County Office of Education. They surpassed their goal of 800 by collecting 2,149 items that will serve 429 people. Their entire school participated in writing letters for troops and the club used funds raised to purchase beef jerky to go out in care packages for Honor Our Troops.
The Folsom Middle School Hands4Hope Club voted to create a Thank You Campaign to honor local emergency room healthcare workers who have worked so hard during the pandemic. After connecting with and getting input from Rita Roberts, a representative from Mercy, the club participants created a video, flyers, and social media posts to promote a fund drive for goodie bags for 34 employees at Mercy Hospital Folsom. They surpassed their goal of $150 to raise $476 and were able to not only make the requested 34 bags with comfort items such as mints, lotion, lip balm and hand sanitizer, but they also added Peet’s or Starbucks gift cards to each bag. In addition, each employee got a handmade thank you card from a Folsom Middle School student. The club participants also designed thank you posters to be displayed at the hospital.
With the remaining funds, the Club is delivering thank you posters and goodie bag items with handmade tags to the UC Emergency Department in Sacramento.