The Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference Emergency Food Pantry and the Placerville Youth Center provide our youth an opportunity to support and give back to the community in which they live. (Robyn & Chris Parker, Adult Leads - Emergency Food Pantry)
The Emergency Food Pantry & ASPIRE Outfitters are newer committees which fulfill important needs in the Placerville area. These committees work in conjunction with our partner agencies to support food-insecure families and provide clothing to vulnerable youth in our community. Additional information can be found below. If you are interested in joining of these committees, please fill out the interest survey! Thank you for your support!
For more additional information on these committees, please email
Melissa Placek at mplacek@hands4hopeyouth.org.
The ASPIREKids Outfitters Committee is a partnership between Hands4Hope - Youth Making a Difference and ASPIRE Kids. 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.
THIS COMMITTEE MEETS VIA ZOOM THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
CLICK TO APPLY: 2022 - 2023 ASPIRE Outfitters Committee Interest Survey
Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference is such an incredible organization. I have always been impressed with how Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference teaches and empowers youth to give back to their communities. The leadership skills the youth learn from participating in Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference committees will follow them throughout their lives.
I also believe that there are no better people suited to help kids than kids. They are uniquely positioned to know the true needs of their peers. [ASPIREKids Outfitters Committee] youth are assisting with sorting and collecting new and gently used clothing so that we can provide them to youth when a request comes in from a social worker, school or shelter.
- ASPIREKids President/Director - Jodi Mottashed
For more information on ASPIRE Kids Outfitters Committee:
Agency Spotlight: ASPIREKids President/Director - Jodi Mottashed
Established in January 2021, the Emergency Food Pantry Committee develops and maintains 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 Placer Food Bank.
The committee is responsible for the collection of non perishable 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.
THIS COMMITTEE MEETS VIA ZOOM THE THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH.
CLICK TO APPLY: 2022 - 2023 Emergency Food Pantry Committee Interest Survey
"I cannot tell you what relief it has given me to know this is coming. The need is ongoing and every additional support makes such a huge difference for these families.
- Margaret Lewis, Homeless Youth Coordinator, EDCOE
"Until a person becomes involved in something like the Emergency Food Pantry, you don’t understand the needs of those in the community in which we live. For whatever reason, any one of us might find ourselves in need of additional food items at any time. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth have come together to establish the Emergency Food Pantry Committee and the Homeless Committee.
They held a Fall Food Roundup last fall and obtained 3000+ pounds of canned food and dry goods such as pasta and rice. The youth stocked the shelves with the food and are learning how to run a food pantry. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth have partnered with the El Dorado County Office of Education and the Placerville School District to designate families in our schools who are currently food insecure.
The Emergency Food Pantry Committee’s plan is to provide twenty-five families per month with additional food items. The youth were also able to partner with Blue Shield of California and the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department to distribute food baskets during the holidays."
- Robyn & Chris Parker, Adult Leads for HandsHope Emergency Food Pantry
For more information on the Emergency Food Pantry committee:
December 2020: Emergency Food Pantry Committee to launch in January 2021
March 2021: Emergency Food Pantry Update
Adult Volunteer Spotlight: Robyn & Chris Parker