Before COVID-19 hit and everything stopped, the Hands4Hope Youth Board was in full swing planning and preparing for the Upper Supper, a family friendly evening of food and entertainment. The Youth Board, composed of Hands4Hope Leaders from six local high schools, wasn’t going to let shelter-in-place stop them from raising much needed funds for the Upper Room Dining Hall in Placerville. Mary Matlack, president of the Youth Board explained why it was important for the group to find a way to fundraise, “Helping others isn’t just something you do, it's a commitment. We committed to helping the Upper Room and we weren’t going to let this situation stop us from helping those in need.”
Although the Upper Supper was cancelled, the Youth Board was determined to move forward and work toward their financial goal of $3,500. They embraced the new technology based meetings and reZOOMed planning, shifting gears to explore creative ways to raise funds virtually. The group settled on two virtual experiences. One committee focused on creating a virtual mystery based escape room Stolen Stars, while another committee created a virtual shopping experience raising funds equivalent to the top items the Upper Room currently needs. Liv Craine, chair of the marketing committee shared, “It is important to us to help provide funds for the most needed food the Upper Room uses, especially now that the demand is higher than ever.”
We are asking the community to help the Hands4Hope Youth Board reach their goal of $3,500, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Upper Room Dining Hall in Placerville. Visit hands4hopeyouth.org/stolenstars to play the Stolen Stars Escape Room and to shop in the virtual store. Both experiences are open May 22-June 5th, 2020.
