Youth Spotlight: Tania Thomas

Tania Thomas has participated with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference for five years across all areas of the organization, from her on-campus Hands4Hope Clubs at Folsom Middle and Vista del Lago, to after-school Committees, Community Engagement Events, and other Hands4Hope events, as well. She is now on the Youth Board Executive Committee as the Community Engagement Ambassador, and also meets with the Folsom Steering Committee. She has already served more than 530 hours... and still counting as she enters her senior year at Vista del Lago!

If you attended the Empty Bowls Dinner in April, you heard Tania speaking to the crowd of hundreds in her role as Hunger Education Lead. What you might not know is that she had to overcome a deep fear of public speaking to do that, and she did beautifully!

She also served as Project Manager of Kids Zone 2025, after serving as Concessions Lead the previous year. She also served as Chair for the 2025 Ryan Christopher Hersh Scholarship Committee. For the School Supply Drive Committee, she has served in the roles of Distribution Lead and Marketing Lead. For Winter Boutique Committee, she served as Marketing Lead, and Clothing Layout/Decor Lead.

"I had the pleasure of working with Tania when she was Chair for the Ryan Christopher Hersh Scholarship Committee, and she was so on top of tasks and so organized that I hardly had to do anything!" said Melissa Placek, Education Program Coordinator. "She kept everything running smoothly."

"Tania led the Kids Zone project with confidence, positivity, and attention to detail," said Kate Barba, Special Events Program Coordinator.  "She led by example and made everyone feel welcome and included."

What motivated you to join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference?

I first heard about Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference in seventh grade, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Like many others, I was bored out of my mind and lonely. When Hands4Hope was introduced as a new club at Folsom Middle School, I eagerly joined, initially just for the service hours. After helping deliver gift baskets to healthcare workers, I instantly became hooked, not on the hours, but on the feeling of joy and purpose that came from giving back.

How have your Hands4Hope experiences shaped you into the person you are today?

They’ve made me more confident, both in new situations and in my abilities. I’ve developed public speaking, project management, marketing, and collaboration skills. They’ve given me the platform to speak up about issues that I see around my community and the opportunities to try many, many different things, inspiring me to become the best leader I can be.

How has Hands4Hope helped you in school, with your friends and family, and in life?

Hands4Hope has helped me make so many friends—people who I would have never gotten to know. In life, I’m becoming more fulfilled in the personal impact I’ve made on my community. Ultimately, I hope I’ve made my family proud. I’m immensely grateful to Hands4Hope for stumbling into my life!

What has been your favorite memory so far with Hands4Hope?

My favorite recent memory (I have too many to count and I’m indecisive) has to be this year’s leadership camp! Unfortunately, during our high ropes climbing course, a thunderstorm rolled in that had halted all activity and forced everyone back into the cabins. My cabin had leaders from all over Placerville to Folsom and though we all mostly had only known each other for about 12 hours, Hands4Hope helped us all connect immediately and we had a blast doing karaoke and made the best of an unfortunate situation.

My other favorite memory, more related to Community Engagement, is Empty Bowls. I was Hunger Education Lead and one of my duties was making a speech about food insecurity in front of this huge crowd (about 500+ people) and I’ve never done such a thing in my life. It’s insufficient to say I was scared, but I did it and it was the one of the most satisfying accomplishments I have done through Hands4Hope.

What would you tell someone who is considering joining Hands4Hope?

Do it! It’s about all the opportunities life throws on your path—you don’t know which ones will lead to the best outcomes so try them all. Hands4Hope always puts your voice first so that not only will you feel empowered to take action around you but you will feel also more prepared to face challenges that may befall you later in your professional/educational path.

There is a plethora you can try—Community Engagement Events like MAPS Peer Mentoring to seasonal committees like Winter Boutique.

What other activities do you enjoy?

Outside of Hands4Hope, I love reading, baking, and painting in my spare time! My favorite genre is fantasy/dystopian but I would read any book that comes my way. I also love spending time with family and friends.