Youth Spotlight: Lenna Moore
- Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference
- 22 hours ago
- 4 min read
Lenna Moore, a senior at Vista Del Lago High School, is in her fourth year of involvement with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. She initially became involved in her on-campus Hands4Hope Club, where she served as Treasurer in her junior year. She was elected Vice President for this year, but unfortunately the Hands4Hope Clubs at Folsom schools were discontinued due to lack of community funding and support. Still, she continues to participate, and has talled more than 185 service hours!
She has found a home in Hands4Hope's After-School Committees, including the Fall Festival in 2023 and 2024, and Winter Boutique in 2024 and 2025, including serving as Warm and Fuzzy Drive Co-Chair this year. She also served as Concessions Co-Chair for the Kids Zone Committee in 2025. In addition, she also shows up for various Outreach Opportunities, helping out as she is able.
"Through Lenna's leadership at Winter Boutique and Kids Zone, she showed what it means to serve with heart, commitment, and confidence," said Nicole Craine, Hands4Hope Deputy/Program Director. "Her leadership and dedication helps make each event she is a part of truly special for everyone she works with and serves."
How did you first hear about Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? What motivated you to join?
I first heard about Hands4Hope through my friend Tania who had participated in the Hands4Hope Club in middle school. She told me how it was a good way to get involved in the community and provided youth with a lot of leadership opportunities. I really wanted to join the Hands4Hope Club since at the time I had almost no experience with volunteering or leadership, and I thought it sounded like a great way to put myself out there more and make a difference in my local community.
How have your experiences with Hands4Hope shaped you into the person you are today?
The time I’ve spent with Hands4Hope and the leadership roles I’ve had have definitely made me more organized and a better communicator.
In all of the outreaches or Hands4Hope projects I’ve been a part of, there is always a lot of work that needs to be done and most of it is time sensitive, and being a person responsible for making sure everything gets done on time and well is a skill that I got the chance I got to develop and know find myself using every day.
Additionally, before I began with Hands4Hope I considered myself to be a pretty shy kid with poor communication skills, but the amount of teamwork and collaboration required for these projects really forced me to come out of that bubble.
Everyone in Hands4Hope is incredibly supportive and kind, and I think that environment really helped me to find my voice in teamwork and leadership. Compared to when I first started, I now find being a leader to others much easier and something I actively seek, as well as trying to create a safe space for others to develop their leadership skills as well.
How has Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference helped you in school, with your friends and family, and in life?
Hands4Hope has helped a lot in learning how to multitask and balance multiple tasks at once. Being involved in the Hands4Hope Club, After-School Committee, or in outreaches meant that I would have responsibilities, such as meetings, while I also had school work. This helped me to get better at delegating my tasks and focusing on what's the most important thing in the moment and how I can make sure I can eventually get done everything I need to. I often use this skill a lot in my job, where I have to delegate my tasks and focus on how I can be the most efficient.
With my friends and families my experiences have helped me to play a more active role. Since I used to be more shy, I often wouldn’t give much input on what my friends/family wanted to do, but now I frequently find myself giving suggestions and helping to create and execute any plans.
What is one special memory or moment that stands out from your experiences so far with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference?
One special memory I have was working at the Winter Boutique in 2024. This was one of my first outreaches and when I was volunteering, a family came into the Winter Boutique to shop. The two boys were ecstatic to see all of the clothes and things for them there, and I remember the mother being so grateful to us and happy for her boys. This really solidified for me how important organizations like Hands4Hope are, and that the work we do in our committees and clubs really does make a difference for so many people. That event really inspired me to keep being involved in the on-campus club, which is one of the main reasons I participated in the Winter Boutique again this year as a leader.
What would you tell someone who is considering becoming involved, and how do you see yourself staying involved in the future?
I would tell them to definitely join. Hands4Hope is really unique in the opportunities it provides for youth. All of the projects truly are youth-led, which is really important for developing project management and leadership skills, but it also provides a lot of support so you don’t feel like you're drowning when you're trying to plan. Hands4Hope also has a very diverse array of opportunities for students, so you would 100% be able to find a project you would want to participate in.
In the future, I think I will continue to be involved in some committee projects as a leader or just a volunteer.
What activities do you enjoy outside Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference?
Outside of Hands4Hope, I’m very involved in my school's Student Athletic Training Program where I work as a student athletic trainer, attending sports games and providing side line care. I’m very interested in the sports medicine field so I love getting to go to these games and learn from athletic trainers about different evaluation and treatment techniques.
I also enjoy working out and walking, every single day I walk 3-5 miles as a habit I started during Covid and I’ve just kept doing it ever since.
