Last Week to Buy Tickets!
8th Annual Benefit Dinner. A Night in the Vineyard.
EAT: delicious appetizers and dinner catered by Diane Wilkinson Catering.
SIP: Wine sampling provided by: Cielo Estate, Everhart Cellars, Fenton Herriott Vineyards, Gwinllan Estates, E16 Wine Company, Sierra Vista Vineyards and Winery, Findleton Estate Winery, and Wofford Acres Vineyards, Perry Creek Winery
BID: Fabulous Silent and Live Auction items. Event emcee KCRA Eileen Javora!
We anticipate this event selling out. Don't miss out on this festive evening!
Fall Festival
Celebrate the fall harvest with fun for the entire family! Come snack on candy apples
and apple cider, find your way through the hay maze, or enter a fun contest!
El Dorado Hills Town Center Waterfront
(Amphitheatre & Sandra Rose Garden)
Featuring: Hay Maze, Petting Zoo, Scarecrow Decorating, Hay Rides, Face Painting, Pumpkin Decorating, and more!
For more information visit hands4hopeyouth.org/2017-fall-festival.html.
Volunteers Needed!
With our two biggest fundraisers this month, Hands4Hope is in great need of youth and adult volunteers to support these great events!
Contact Jennifer Bassett at jbassett@hands4hopeyouth.org for more information.
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Introducing Hands4Hope’s Newest Board Members: Andrea Howard and Steve Backers!
Hands4Hope is excited to announce two new members to the Board of Directors, Andrea Howard and Steve Backers! Read on to learn about Andrea’s and Steve’s experiences with Hands4Hope, their involvement in the community, and their plans for the organization as board members.
Andrea
How and why did you get involved with Hands4Hope?
Jennifer Bassett and I have been acquaintances for a few years, seeing each other at community events and fundraisers. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I sense that she set a master plan in motion last year by inviting me and my husband to participate as adult mentors for the 2016 Haunted House Committee. That was our first real interaction seeing the youth in leadership action. Once you witness these young people organize, communicate, and execute a community service project - - while juggling the demands of school and other extra-curricular activities - - I was hooked. For me, the first sentence of the Hands4Hope mission really says it all: cultivate the next generation of socially responsible citizens. How can anyone say no to that?
What do you do in addition to your work for Hands4Hope, or what were you involved with before joining the Hands4Hope Board?
In my professional world, I am the Principal Planner for Parker Development Company and I have worked for the company for more than 2 decades. Our corporate culture places great emphasis on philanthropy and community service, meaning that my employer not only supports but encourages me to get involved with a number of charitable organizations. I am currently on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club El Dorado County Western Slope, Marshall Foundation, El Dorado Hills Endowment Cabinet, and the El Dorado County Economic Development Corporation. When I’m not busy with work or volunteer positions, I enjoy running, cooking, gardening, traveling, and spending time with my husband and two
rambunctious Labradors.
What goals do you have for your work with Hands4Hope?
Hands4Hope is in a growing phase and wants to increase its presence in the greater Placerville area. I hope my network of non-profit and professional contacts throughout the western slope of El Dorado County can assist in those endeavors to expand the organization’s reach and increase its resource development.
What are you most looking forward to in working with Hands4Hope?
The thing I am most excited about is finding more opportunities to work directly with the youth. It seems that the national news these days is riddled with stories of conflict, hatred and violence. Working with our local youth and seeing their compassion and respect for others gives me a great sense of hope that our local community is in good hands. And as our youth of today evolve into adulthood, they bring with them valuable leadership skills, kindheartedness, and confidence in their abilities for all that they choose academically, socially and professionally. They are well on their way to becoming talented mentors for our future generations.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I just want to take the opportunity to thank Jennifer, the staff and the rest of the Board for welcoming me to your team. I look forward to getting to know all of you better and furthering the mission and vision of Hands4Hope.
Steve
How and why did you get involved with Hands4Hope?
I knew about Hands4Hope both because my daughter was involved when she was at Oak Ridge, and because I have worked with Doug Busch and Mike Bassett in the past, two people I greatly respect, so I've heard a lot about all the great things that the organization does from them. I decided to join the board because I believe strongly in the mission, I have experience that I think can help Hands4Hope, I want to continue to give back to our community, and I believe in Jennifer and the people on her team.
What do you do in addition to your work for Hands4Hope, or what were you involved with before joining the Hands4Hope Board?
In addition to my new involvement with Hands4Hope, I teach and consult. I teach in the Business School at William Jessup University and I do Talent and Organizational Performance independent consulting. When I'm not doing that, I like to mountain bike, road bike, and hike.
What goals do you have for your work with Hands4Hope?
I hope to be a resource for Jennifer, her team, and the other board members to help set a clear direction for the organization, and to help make Hands4Hope the role model non-profit organization in our community.
What are you most looking forward to in working with Hands4Hope?
I'm just excited to get in and help, to get to know the rest of the great people involved, to get out on some outreach activities, and see the youth, the team, and the organization grow and develop all while helping those less fortunate in our community!
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Doug is pretty famous for his engineering prowess, use of power tools, and handy man skills. In that area, I'm not even worth to carry his tool belt, but I've got a few other skills!
Hands4Hope’s Plans to Create Kindness Rocks are “Set in Stone”
Hands4Hope’s has signed on to create “Kindness Rocks” as a part of the CSD Teen Center’s initiative to promote kindness and goodwill in the community. Kindness Rocks are rocks that are painted with positive phrases and images, complete with a small explanation of the project and how the rocks can be tracked online. Once the rocks have been painted, they are placed around the community for individuals to find. The goal of the rock finder - take the rock with you, if the message stands out; replace the rock with a different one that’s been made; or enjoy the message but leave the rock for someone else to find.
The Hands4Hope Youth Board has spearheaded this project, and will be creating a wide variety of “H4H Kindness Rocks” that tie back to Hands4Hope’s mission and involvement in the community. The project will be ongoing throughout the year, and will allow Hands4Hope participants the opportunity to impact the community with passive messages of hope, strength, and togetherness.
For more information or to create your own rocks, please contact Nicole Craine at nicole@hands4hopeyouth.org or visit the official “EDH Kindness Rocks Project” Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EDHRocks/.
Hard at Work on the Fall Festival - Creating Hands4Hope’s Newest Fundraising Event
Every fall, Hands4Hope hosts its two biggest fundraisers of the year - its annual benefit dinner and fall-related event. Traditionally, this fall-related event has been a haunted house that is planned and created by a team of youth and adult volunteers. This year though, Hands4Hope decided to try something new, and took on planning the Fall Festival, a two day event that includes a hay maze, tractor rides, scarecrow creating, face painting, and even a doggie costume show; all activities to give attendees their fill of Autumn, October, and Harvest, complete with Barsotti’s apple juice and Rainbow Orchards apple donuts!
This event was not a simple undertaking, and has required months of planning in advance. The Fall Festival Committee hosted its first meeting in May, and, since then, has been led by 20(?) dedicated youth who have overseen marketing, sponsorships, event planning, coordination with Town Center and other local businesses, budgeting, donations, and volunteer sign ups, to name a few of their many job assignments. The committee also collaborated with several adult mentors in creating the Fall Festival, and utilized the adults’ knowledge and connections in the community to further their efforts.
Cecile Wu, Oak Ridge Junior and member of the Marketing & Advertising Subcommittee, described her experiences working on the Fall Festival: “Being on the Marketing & Fundraising Committee really challenged me, and made me a harder worker and more responsible person. It was so great seeing how a group of us youth could accomplish that much!”
The Fall Festival Committee is in the final stages of planning, and is excited to see how the event turns out! With four months of work on the Fall Festival, they have successfully created a first-time event for Hands4Hope and developed a framework for future fundraisers to come.
Outreach Highlights - GVCC Saturday Cafe
The GVCC Saturday Cafe is one of Hands4Hope’s most popular outreach events, and is hosted two times per month at Green Valley Community Church in Placerville. Due to the frequency of the Saturday Cafe and volunteering opportunities that it offers though, Hands4Hope is regularly in need of adult and youth volunteers, and would love to have as many participants as possible to support this great outreach.
This is a fantastic opportunity to interact with individuals in need and hear their stories; learn more about the food and homelessness services available in El Dorado County; and just help others prepare for the next week, recharge their batteries, and gain support from the community!
To learn more or register for the next Saturday Cafe, please visit our website or contact Yoko Kono at yoko@hands4hopeyouth.org.
Upcoming Dates:
October 14th from 8:15-11:15am
October 28th from 8:15-11:15am
Read on to learn more about the Saturday Cafe and the different volunteering opportunities open to Hands4Hope participants!
Green Valley Community Church (GVCC) is one of the largest food distribution points in El Dorado County. Every Saturday, the church serves between 150-300 people, preparing and serving a warm meal while they wait to go through the grocery food line and clothing closet. All of these services are free, and provide individuals and families the opportunity to interact with others for a greater sense of community, as well as receive needed supplies, find help and resources from the church staff and volunteers, and just have the chance to sit down and have a meal with others in a welcoming and safe setting.
In preparing and hosting these events, GVCC collaborates with Hands4Hope for volunteers that help Saturday Cafe attendees “shop” for groceries and clothing at the church. Volunteers may also help bag clothes, run shopping carts, serve the meal, clear tables, or bag up animal food, if the church staff requires help with those as well. Hands4Hope participants work at the Saturday Cafe every 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, and all aged youth are welcome to participate in this outreach.
Middle School Updates
The Camerado Springs Club will be hosting its second club meeting* this Wednesday, October 3rd, to discuss the organizations that they would like to learn more about as a group. At their last meeting, the Camerado Club voted to focus this year’s projects on animals or veterans, so they are hoping to have Honor Our Troops, Capitol City K-9, or the El Dorado County K-9 Association speak at their upcoming club meetings. *The Camerado Springs Club meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month.*
The Herbert Green 5/6 Grade Club leaders decided to host their club meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month, so will be hosting their second club meeting this Thursday, October 5th. After spending their first meeting playing icebreakers and getting to know each other, the leaders will now lead their club through the process of voting on areas of need that they would like to benefit this school year and determining the local organizations that they would like to support through this process.
The Herbert Green 7/8 Grade Club, like the 5/6 Club, will be meeting on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month. At their upcoming meeting on Thursday, October 5th, the club will be discussing specific nonprofits that they would like to learn more about and support. Then the club leadership will reach out to those organizations to ask for guest speakers to come present on the local areas of need that they benefit.
The Marina Village Club has started their club by continuing work on a project from the previous school year. After beginning the planning stages of a dog costume show to support the El Dorado County K-9 Association, the Marina Village Club has decided to continue work on this project to include in the Fall Festival at Town Center. The club has been hard at work developing a program, decorations, donations and sponsorships, and marketing. They will be hosting their dog costume show, Howl-O-Ween, on Sunday, October 15th from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
The Rolling Hills Club will host meetings the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. Their next meeting is this Tuesday, October 3rd, and they will be discussing and voting on the areas of need that they would like to benefit this school year. After determining which areas they would like to learn more about, they will invite guest speakers from local organizations to come and present information on how they impact the community in relation to the certain areas of need.
The Sutter Club will be meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, starting with this Tuesday, October 3rd. At their last meeting, the club voted to focus their club projects on either LGBTQIA+ youth support services, animals, or local hospital services for children with cancer. They will determine which organizations they would like to learn more about at their upcoming club meeting, and then their club leadership will reach out to these nonprofits to invite guest speakers to come present to the group.
Have any questions? Feel free to contact Youth Development Program Coordinator, Nicole Craine, for more information on the School Club Program (nicole@hands4hopeyouth.org), or Outreach Coordinator, Yoko Kono, for After-School Committees (yoko@hands4hopeyouth.org). You can also visit the Hands4Hope website for meeting dates and full club/committee descriptions.
Outreach and Service Learning Opportunities
Please note:
To register for an event, you must activate your annual registration, if you haven't already. If you need to pay, click here.
Benefit Dinner Greeting
Lakehills Community Church
Saturday, October 7th
5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Please come help us welcome guests to the Hands4Hope Benefit Dinner. You will be in charge greeting guests upon arrival, assisting them to their assigned tables and talking with guests about what you do in Hands4Hope. Additionally you will be assisting with the closing of the silent auction.
**High School Students Welcome**
Fall Festival 2017
Town Center in El Dorado Hills
Saturday & Sunday, October 14th-15th
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Multiple Time Slots Available
Help set up, tear down, and run the different activity stations at the Fall Festival.
**8th Grade and Older Welcome**
Beary Special Playdate at
Sacramento Children's Museum
Just 15 Minutes from EDH
Wednesday, October 11th
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
NEW! The museum is closed to the public and only open to children with autism and their caretaker. This event occurs on the 2nd Wednesdays of every month from 5-7pm. Looking for 4 high school volunteers to reset exhibits, assist at different stations/exhibits and interact with children and their families.
**High School Students Welcome**
Explorability at Sacramento
Children's Museum
Just 15 Minutes from EDH!
Sunday, October 15th
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
NEW! This is a program for children with special needs and their family and friends. This event occurs on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month from 10-11am. Volunteers will help lead various stations, help set and reset exhibits, and interact with the children and their caretakers.
**High School Students Welcome**
Kidszone at White Rock Village
Every Friday, October 6, 13, 20, & 27th
3:30 p.m. - 5: p.m.
Come join the young residents of White Rock Village playing ping pong, video games, board games, foosball, as well as various outdoor play. Volunteers will assist with supervision, encourage teamwork and cooperation, gain leadership and communication skills, and have fun!
**8th Grade and Older Welcome**
EDH Senior Center Crafts & Games
Monday, October 9th
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Volunteers will spend time socializing, helping with arts and craft activities, and playing games with seniors with various levels of dementia, at Ramona "Moni" Gilmore Senior Center in El Dorado Hills.
**All Ages Welcome**
Benefit Dinner Set-Up & Decorations
Lakehills Community Church
Saturday, October 7th
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Set up tables and assemble centerpieces, signage, and any other decor for display at Hands4Hope’s Benefit Dinner.
**8th Grade and Older Welcome**
Benefit Dinner Serving
Lakehills Community Church
Saturday, October 7th
5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Assist in serving at this fun event. You must wear black pants, a white shirt, and closed toe shoes for serving.
**High School Students Welcome**
Baby Art Your Heart Out
Sacramento Children’s Museum
Just 15 Minutes from EDH
Sunday, October 8th
8:00 a.m. - 11 a.m.
NEW! The Sacramento Children's Museum (off Zinfandel Exit) will be hosting "Baby Art Your Heart Out," a sensory-rich art experience for children with Autism. In order for this event to be a success, the museum would like high school aged volunteers to help set up, work with the children during the event, and help with cleanup.
children and their families.
**High School Students Welcome**
FOOD DONATIONS for
Mercy Senior Dinner
Food Drop Off - Tuesday, October 17th
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the New H4H Office (873 Embarcadero Drive, Suite #5)
Donate food items to feed low income seniors at Mercy Creekview Housing.
You will receive volunteer credit for your items.
**All Ages Welcome**
Mercy Creekview Manor Senior Dinner
Wednesday, October 18th
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Come prepare and serve dinner for seniors. The volunteers will also help with crafts before dinner.
**All Ages Welcome**
GVCC Saturday Cafe
Saturday, October 14th & 28th
8:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Hands4Hope volunteers work the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month helping distribute food and run carts.
**All Ages Welcome**
GVCC Kids Oasis
Saturday, October 14th & 28th
8:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Hands4Hope volunteers work the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, reading books, playing games and doing craft projects with the young children in the Kids’ Oasis. The Kids' Oasis provides a safe and fun place for the children to wait while their families shop for free groceries and clothing at the Saturday Cafe.
**Middle School and Up Welcome**
Click here to find out more information or to register for any of these events.
*Please note: Elementary aged participants must be accompanied by a registered parent or guardian at all Hands4Hope outreach events.