What is your school and grade? How long have you been involved with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I am a junior at Ponderosa High School and this is my fourth year as a participant of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference.
Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference & how did you hear about it? I joined Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference in eighth grade because two of my close friends were the president and vice president of the Camerado Springs Hands4Hope Club. Their club needed a secretary, and they asked me to join to fill the role. I really enjoyed being a part of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference, so I became more involved in outreach projects and after school committees when I began high school.
How has Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference helped you in school, with your friends and family, and in life? Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference has helped me to break out of my shell and become more outgoing. Thanks to Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference I have been able to make more friends both inside and outside of school, and I now enjoy the time I spend working with my peers or participating in group activities much more.
What has your experience been like since joining? I have had a great experience since I’ve joined Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. The atmosphere at every outreach I have volunteered at and on every committee I have worked on has always been incredibly welcoming. Everyone I have met through Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference has been so kind and friendly to me, and it makes every Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference event a great and fun place to be.
Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experiences with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference?
I have loved working on after school committees, and I hope to get other Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference participants involved in these. I find it incredibly rewarding to plan a project, prepare for an event and put everything together, then see the final product. I hope that I can market after school committee opportunities to the members of my school club to get more of them involved.
One of my favorite memories that I have had through Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference is working at the Kids Zone a few years ago. I worked in the toddler area, and I absolutely loved being able to make all of the little kids smile and laugh by letting them onto the bounce houses and putting temporary tattoos on their arms. Kids Zone was the activity that really opened my eyes to how much Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference does in the community and made me realize all of the things I could do outside of my school club. Kids Zone was the first committee I worked on as well as the first outreach I participated in, so it is very nostalgic and special to me. I have missed it a lot the past few years, as the fundraiser has not taken place due to COVID related restrictions. I am very glad that even though I have not been able to work on the Kids Zone Committee again, I was able to work on many Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference projects virtually last summer when many other activities were canceled. I like to stay busy and I love working on Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference projects, so I am very grateful that we have been able to continue helping our community through COVID lockdowns.