Search Results

Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference recently welcomed two new members to its all-volunteer Board of Directors: Carey Moreno-Hunt and Blake Anderson. They both bring tremendous experience and important perspectives to our skilled group of Directors. Get to know them more by reading on! Meet Carey Moreno-Hunt Tell us a little about yourself and your role on the Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference Board of Directors. I am originally from the Chicago area, but moved to Sacramento for medical training and am now a permanent transplant! Met my husband in college at Michigan State University and we have 4 kids ages 12-18. When not working and shuttling kids to activities, we enjoy hiking and live music. Many people on the board have business experience and they bring that knowledge and expertise to the board. As a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician, I do not have a business background, but having had 4 kids who are or have been very active in Hands4Hope, I bring the parent perspective. How did you hear about Hands4Hope-Youth Making A Difference and how long have you been involved? I first learned about Hands4Hope when they had a table at the pirate festival at the library 12yrs ago. As my kids entered middle school, they all became active in Hands4Hope and that’s when we got more involved. What motivated to dedicate your time as a Board Member? Seeing the influence Hands4Hope has had on my own children and wanting to be involved in bettering my community is what prompted me to get more involved. Hands4Hope was, by far, the thing that had the most influence in preparing my oldest child for college and launching into adult life. What are you looking forward to doing most while on the Board? Getting more involved with the amazing local youth and promoting the organization’s mission of helping to foster civic minded and socially responsible youth. I would also like to expand parental involvement, as we are always looking for adult leads for events to support all the youth participants. Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experiences with Hands4Hope? Hands4Hope is not just about volunteering. There is an entire education arm of the program that is teaching and instilling these youth with skills they will use for life and take to college and the communities they go to next. Whatever they put into Hands4Hope, they will get back so much more. These pics are both from the annual EDH Town Center Fireworks & Freedom Concert. The top photo is from when we first learned about Hands4Hope and the kids started enjoying the events that Hands4Hope offered for the community. The bottom photo is from last summer when all four of our kids were volunteering at Hands4Hope's Kids Zone Area. Meet Blake Anderson Tell us a little about yourself and your role on the Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference Board of Directors. Hello! My name is Blake Anderson, and I am so excited to be serving on the Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference Board of Directors. I grew up in Placerville, graduating from El Dorado High School, and after spending a few years in Utah and Oregon for college and work, my wife and I moved back to El Dorado County in 2022 to have our first child. I first heard about Hands4Hope when my office was invited to be a bail participant for the Endless Summer Beach Party. As I participated and learned about how Hands4Hope does so much more to empower our youth than just offer service hours, I knew I wanted to do more to help. I got involved with the Planned Giving Committee, using my professional skills as a Certified Financial Planner™ to help raise awareness of tax efficient ways to financially support our youth leadership and service efforts. What are you looking forward to doing most while on the Board? As a board member, I look forward to spending more time serving our community alongside our amazing youth and helping Hands4Hope grow to empower even more youth to make the difference our community needs. Blake Anderson and his family joined the Endless Summer Beach Party Fundraiser as "Rescue Bail" participants, posing as castaways on an island with an exploding volcano. Never fear, their supporters were able to bail them off the island to safety, raising essential funding for Hands4Hope in the process.

Tell us about your organization. Walk with Austin was formed in 2018 as a family’s response to realizing how few opportunities there are for special needs kids to have fun and feel included. Playgrounds, in particular, are very triggering for parents of differently abled kids because they are a universal example of a place for kids to play and have fun. But when playgrounds aren’t accessible to kids with physical disabilities or inclusive to kids with developmental delays, then they become a place of heartache and not fun. That’s where Walk with Austin’s big goal of helping fund an ALL-ABILITIES playground in EDH came into view. Since forming in 2018, WWA has gifted a $17k LiteGait treadmill to the California Children’s Services physical therapy clinic at Rolling Hills Middle School, gifted 4 adaptive trykes to kids in El Dorado County ($1500 each) and raised $80k of our $250k goal for the playground. Lots of successes and lots of room to grow! What is the reason(s) for partnering with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference is established in our community and has great experience with fundraising and community partnerships. Walk with Austin is newer and will benefit greatly from the mentorship and volunteer capacity of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. What has your experience been like working with Hands4Hope youth? The students we’re working with at Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference have been an incredible example of service minded youth who are engaged, professional and enthusiastic about the betterment of our community. What are the typical tasks/responsibilities our youth perform when working with Walk with Austin? Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference volunteers will help with a couple of big Walk with Austin events in 2022, helping from the beginning with setting program goals all the way through the implementation and success of the actual event. Everything from marketing, event logistics, being buddies to our athletes to swag sales - we will rely on Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth throughout the Spring Walk & Roll and the Fall Kids TRY-athlon. Has your experience working with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference differed from your experience working with youth other service organizations? If so, how? We haven’t worked with other youth organizations, we’re excited to have your creativity and enthusiasm on our team this year.

Hands4Hope selected the Marina Village Middle School Hands4Hope Club Leadership Team for this month’s Youth Spotlight

How long have you been participating with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? Since 2014 Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? We were asked by Jennifer as they were in need of adult supervisors for Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference activities. What outreaches/events do you usually volunteer with? Which do you enjoy the most? We serve at the Common Ground at Green Valley Community Church. We have helped with sleigh rides, haunted houses, school supply drives, and food drives. We consistently volunteer with Common Ground on a monthly basis. It is a great outreach that offers support to those in need. What is your impression of/experience with Hands4Hope youth? We have worked with some amazing youth in our greater Sacramento region. The youth are driven and hardworking. They want to serve, and it has been evident in every event we have been a part of. Overall, what has your experience been like since joining? We thoroughly enjoy being a part of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference and supporting the youth (our kids are adults). We tell everyone about the organization and the amazing things Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference does in the community. The youth make an impact on those they serve as well as the co-volunteers. This is a youth lead organization. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference promotes teamwork, collaboration, problem solving skills, leadership skills, community involvement and serving others. It has been an honor and blessing to be a part of this fantastic organization!

Tell us about your organization. New Morning Youth & Family Services has been in Placerville for over 51 years. It started as a drop in center for adolescents who were having difficulty with using substances. Now we are a multi-faceted agency with an outpatient counseling center with offices in Placerville, Cameron Park and Pollock Pines, The Ashby House (a 12 bed shelter for homeless youth), a substance use disorder services program (the only outpatient treatment program for adolescents in El Dorado County), the foster care youth launch program, the Latino Outreach program and the Victims of Crime program. We strive to meet clients in our offices, their homes, the schools and in the community in order to support their goals for wellness. We know that helping kids is about helping the whole family and that is why we focus on the family system. We serve youth 0-18 and their families. What is the reason(s) for partnering with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? We at New Morning know we can’t do this alone. We love our community partners and collaborate with several agencies. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference assists us with donations for our shelter/Ashby House. Our kids usually come to the house with nothing and basic hygiene items are so useful. There is also work to be done on our property usually and helping hands from Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference have assisted us at times in some upkeep. What has your experience been like working with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth? It has been a pleasure to work with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth. Of course we need and love the donations they get for us and the help they have given. But our favorite thing is to see the youth helping the youth in this case. And we love to see leadership skills being developed in youth! What are the typical tasks/responsibilities our youth perform when working with New Morning? My understanding is that they have collected hygiene items and made gift bags to donate to the Ashby House. As well as, in the past, helping with tasks at the Ashby House like landscaping. Has your experience working with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference differed from your experience working with youth other service organizations? In this county I have only worked with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. I believe you guys are the only thing around. However, I have worked with other youth organizations in the country that are similar. I love the professionalism and the genuineness of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. I love that the kids decide what their projects are going to be and do it!

How long have you been participating with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I’ve been involved with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference since fall of 2019, where I was the Adult Mentor for the Folsom High School Hands4Hope Club. Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I was looking for a way to get involved again since moving back to the area after being away for many years. My dad brought me to an event at Boeger Winery. There was a high school student that spoke about her experience with Hands4Hope, I was so impressed. I came away with thinking that this is the type of organization I wish would have been around when I was in middle school or high school. What activities do you usually volunteer with? Which do you enjoy the most? I have been involved in the Folsom High School Hands4Hope Club, the Fall Food Round-up 2020, and Fall Festival 2021. I enjoy working at the larger events like Fall Festival most because you get to know the youth really well throughout the 3 month planning process and I feel like we really work side by side to put on a fun community event. What is your impression/experience with Hands4Hope youth? The students are dedicated and excited about their purpose and the effect that Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference has on the community. It is great to see how much the youth grow and learn throughout the event planning process. Overall, what has your experience been like since joining? The overall experience has been a blast! I love being able to work alongside these amazing and unique students. I love that Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference brings many community organizations, local businesses and residents together. I love the connections and relationships that are created through volunteering with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference.

Tell us about your organization. ASPIREKids is a non-profit organization with a mission to help youth build resilience to trauma through access to normalcy. We do this by providing financial scholarships for extracurricular and normalcy activities, clothing for newly placed foster, homeless or low income children, respite events for youth in kinship and foster care and other programs in partnership with local schools. What is the reason(s) for partnering with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? 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. What has your experience been like working with Hands4Hope youth? My experience so far has been fantastic. From our first meetings to how we can partner, to the interviews of our committee leaders and our first events I have been amazed by the organization and willingness to help. I have also personally learned so much from Jennifer and the leadership at Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. What are the typical tasks/responsibilities our youth perform when working with Aspire Kids? The 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.

How long have you been participating with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I have been working alongside Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference for about a year now. Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I am a Nutrition Educator/Health Educator with El Dorado County Public Health and a colleague of mine informed me Hands4Hope- Youth Making A Difference was going to be opening an Emergency Food Pantry in Placerville and she suggested I get involved. I reached out and am honored to be part of this project today. What outreaches do you usually volunteer with? Which do you enjoy the most? I have only had the opportunity to be involved in the Emergency Food Pantry. As a Public Health employee during a pandemic, I've just not had the free time I'd like to to be involved in other projects. What is your impression/experience with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth? I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference and have met a few folks I can truly call a "friend"! Overall, what has your experience been like since joining? Since joining Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? My experience has been very rewarding and enriching. I look forward to our meetings, our food distributions and hanging out with "the team", catching up and talking to the youth - all of it, I love it!! Thanks so much for having me.

As the clock strikes half-past eight and the aroma of fresh breakfast drifts through the air, the Green Valley Common Ground is officially open for anyone to come in and enjoy a hot meal. And for numerous years, that’s exactly how it’s been until recently with the COVID Pandemic. Since the start of the 1930’s, the Green Valley Community Church has been a place of care, friendship, and faith. Being that it was founded during the Great Depression, the church provided the community with a much needed space for connection and support, oftentimes for the less fortunate. Although economic and social conditions have eased over the years, the church still has a valuable niche in the community, making homeless outreaches a priority in addition to its regular church activities. In 1996, a group of individuals founded The Saturday Cafe (now called Common Ground), a program at the church meant to help those in need. Initially, this meant a simple breakfast and a few free food items to-go, but evolved into many more programs, including a free grocery store, clothing closet, and daycare for children. Hands4Hope volunteers have been participating in this event since December 2008. People come to the event every Saturday, preparing food, cleaning dishes, serving coffee, distributing groceries, organizing the clothing closet, and playing games and doing crafts with children while their parents enjoy the meal and “shop” for much needed food and clothing items. The main part of Common Ground is the breakfast. Starting at 8 am sharp, the meals fills the church with life and the stomachs of roughly three hundred people in a span of three hours. During that time, Hands4Hope volunteers of all ages work together along with volunteers from the church and other agencies to ensure everyone is fed and getting enough groceries. The chefs, who are all volunteers, prepare a variety of food, mainly including traditional breakfast items like eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, and pastries. For the attendees, the event might just be a quick meal, but the volunteers often have a different story. Twelve-year volunteer Susan said, “I’ve been volunteering here for over a decade, coming in at 6:00 in the morning. As soon as I get here, I organize bread and produce and calculate the number of people coming so everyone can get their fair share.” After breakfast, people are welcome to visit the mini-grocery store towards the rear end of the church, where they can claim a grocery bag filled with miscellaneous food items once a month and shop for other perishable grocery items in the pantry. The selection of goods ranges widely, from fresh fruits and vegetables to coconut cakes and brownies, and takes two rooms to store. All of the food comes from the local food bank and local gardens. To make sure all the guests get what they came for, Hands4Hope volunteers help stock up the grocery store, pack staple bags filled with food, and help guests maneuver through the grocery store. Common Ground also branched out to supplying clothes to the community, taking a few donations from anyone willing to give up some gently used clothes and turning it into a full-fledged clothing store. Racks and shelves line the floors and walls of the store, filled with free, quality clothes for anyone in need. In 2019, Green Valley Community Church provided groceries to 7,312 families, served breakfast to 12,214 guests and gave out 74,150 articles of clothing while 474 children attended Kids Oasis, showing that small institutions can make huge impacts on their community through hard work, dedication, and selflessness. And for long-time volunteer and church manager Bobbi, those three traits have been the key to her work at the church. “Volunteering at the church and getting up early on the weekends is hard at times,” she said, “but it keeps me going when I see the amount of help we’ve given out over the years and how we’ve improved so many lives.” Bobbi’s words ring true for many volunteers, both in Hands4Hope and other organizations, who take a chunk out of their Saturday to dedicate to Common Ground and the Kids Oasis. The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the set-up at Green Valley Community Church. With fewer volunteers, breakfast burritos, coffee and prepackaged groceries are provided for those in need in a drive-thru format. The short interactions with each family/vehicle still brings smiles to faces, although underneath their masks. The warm coffee and breakfast and occasional dog treat for the 4 legged family member, along with a variety of groceries loaded into each trunk, are a heartwarming way of taking care of our community while staying safe and getting through these unprecedented times together.

1. Which school did you attend while you were a Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference participant and how many years were you involved? I was part of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference for 5 years, most of which was while I was a student at Mira Loma High School. In addition to being a participant in Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference events, such as Kids’ Cafe at the Green Valley Community Church and the Fourth of July Kids Zone Carnival, I was also the founder and president of the Mira Loma High School Hands4Hope Club. 2. Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference & how did you hear about it? I became very passionate about volunteering early on in my childhood. I started helping at the Twin Lakes Food Bank in Folsom when I was 11 years old, and I volunteered every week during the summers. Once I reached high school, I started to look for ways that I could expand my efforts and support other important causes in the community. I met some Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference participants at the food bank and was immediately excited at the prospect of joining an organization that supported volunteer opportunities for young people. I also really liked the idea behind the school clubs, because I wanted to be able to organize other interested students and design events that could directly impact the community. I decided to start one at my own school, and through that experience, I was able to support women’s shelters, children’s homes, and food banks in other cities, while also growing my leadership and organizational skills. 3. How did Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference help you in school, post high school and now? How did your involvement help you with your friends and family, and in life? (Do you have fond memories of working with friends and family on your projects?) My experience at Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference instilled in me a lifelong passion for service and taught me key leadership skills that have been helpful in all the work that I have done ever since. In college, I was one of the leaders of an annual “Day of Service”, which organized 500 volunteers and assigned them to work with nonprofits in the city. I also founded a marketing club where I led projects that supported nonprofits in their marketing needs, such as developing social media strategies and creating short commercials. Both projects required management skills and a fundamental understanding of nonprofits, which I learned through leading a Hands4Hope school club. Currently, I volunteer with a NYC advocacy group called Hunger Free America, which is focused on building the movement to enact federal policies that will eventually end domestic hunger. 4. Please describe your volunteering after graduating from Cornell. During the summer of 2019, I returned back to Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference after graduating from Cornell University to support the organization in the marketing and communications department. Because I am passionate about supporting nonprofits, I wanted to get a better understanding of how I could use my degree in Marketing to better my community. I created videos for social media, supported the preparations for the Youth Leadership Camp, and joined the Silent Auction donations committee for 3 months. 5. Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experiences with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I'm really grateful for the opportunities that I had during my time as a Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference participant. I truly believe that my positive experiences with the organization shaped who I am today, and I’m excited to use the lessons I learned as I continue to grow.

How long have you been participating with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? Eight years or so as a donor and 3 years as a Board Director. How did you hear about Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? My children are the same age as Jennifer Bassett’s children and they attended the same elementary school. Jennifer’s husband, Mike, coached the kids in soccer therefore, my wife, Lynette and I have known the Bassett’s for over 15 years and have seen Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference grow from an idea to now an impactful youth organization in our community. We know you could dedicate your time to many other boards/non profits in the community. Why did you choose to join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? I like how they involve our young folks, develop leadership skills and attempt to give them a glance of the world outside of our bubble. Helping youth serve those living in poverty and dealing with homelessness in our community along with developing leadership skills will serve them for years to come. What is your impression/experience with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth? I see many come out of their shell and become more social and more self confident. I’ve volunteered at the GVCC outreach numerous times over the years. There is a clothing and grocery distribution where 8-12 youth would help serve (pre-COVID), wash dishes, pour coffee and entertain children in the childcare area. These experiences are eye-opening for the youth where they leave with a new perspective of the world around them. Overall, what has your experience been like since being involved with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? My experience has been positive and I, myself, have seen a much broader view of those less fortunate in our community which is why I’m honored to be part of the Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference Board of Directors.

1. Which school did you attend while you were a Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference participant and how many years were you involved? I went to Oak Ridge High School and was an active participant with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference for about 3 years. After graduating high school I moved to Montana for college, but I still like to try and find Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference events to participate in when I visit! 2. Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference & how did you hear about it? I wasn’t involved in many extracurricular activities so I thought Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference would be a great activity for me and a way to be involved in the community. 3. How did Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference help you in school, post high school and now? How did your involvement help you with your friends and family, and in life? I would say that Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference impacted me in three major ways. 1. Community- I always knew it was important to be involved in my community; but Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference showed me why and how. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference gave me the chance to understand my community on a much deeper level. The importance and value of community was something that stuck with me when I moved from CA to MT for college. 2. Confidence- Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference instilled a profound sense of confidence in me as a young person. It was so empowering to plan and execute successful events, fundraisers, and projects. I never felt limited by the fact that I was in high school. My senior year of high school I sat on Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference’s Board of Directors, and I always felt like my voice mattered just as much as anyone else’s. I’m really grateful to all of the staff, board members, and adult volunteers for this. 3. Life Skills- Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference gave me opportunities to create a resume brimming with real experiences at just 18 years old. I learned about sticking to deadlines, budgeting, professional communication etiquette, identifying and building on my strengths, and so much more. 4. What has your experience been like? When I look back on my high school experience, Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference is the first thing that comes to mind. I have such amazing memories, and I can really confidently say that I am the person I am today because of Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. High school wasn’t always the easiest time for me, but Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference was something I could consistently look forward to and a place where I always knew I would be valued. 5. Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experiences with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference? One of my favorite, favorite projects was the Kids Zone at the Town Center Freedom & Fireworks Celebration. It was just such a happy and fun event (plus I got to carry around my very own, very official walkie talkie the whole day!) And it was always a treat that my mom and sister volunteered with me. I graduated from the University of Montana this fall and have recently started working as the Marketing, Outreach, and Operations Coordinator for a school based program in Missoula, Montana. Starting my first post college, full time job has been a little bit intimidating; but I know that my experiences with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference have helped set me up to be successful in my career and as an adult in general. I love my job! And I love that I feel confident doing it! I always struggle to find the right words to describe how much Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference means to me. The impact this organization has had on me is so great.