For the 11th year in a row, Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference youth collected school supplies to help local students in need start the year off on the right foot by providing backpacks and needed supplies.
The youth-led School Supply Drive Committee began meeting in early May. First, they worked with local businesses from Folsom to Placerville to host collection bins. They coordinated with El Dorado Hills Town Center and El Dorado County Office of Education to host a "Stuff the Bus" event on July 17, which was also the ending date for most collection sites. These efforts resulted in the collection of more than 28,000 items, including 745 backpacks; which amount to a collective estimated value of $46,000.
The distribution event was held on August 6 in Placerville. At that event, 530 students in grades kindergarten through high school received backpacks and supplies. An additional 103 backpacks full of supplies were distributed in the days following the event through community partners and direct distribution, resulting in a total of 633 students served. Remaining supplies continue to be distributed through community partners.
All in all, the 15 youth School Supply Committee participants planned and coordinated a total of 7 events that involved 118 volunteer spots. The Committee participants logged 194 hours, with an additional 224 youth service hours logged by 40 additional volunteers, and 32.5 service hours logged by adult volunteers. Of those additional youth volunteers, 5 were first-time Hands4Hope participants and 6 had participated in more than 50 prior Hands4Hope opportunities.
Hands4Hope Media Intern Cloud Petersen created this video summarizing the effort:
We have so many people to thank for making this effort possible!
Thank you to ALL of the donors who came to the Stuff the Bus event, donated online, or brought items to collection sites. Thank you especially to generous donations by Fergerson Financial and David and Sharon Handler.
Bin Collection Sites
24 Carrot Farms
Allworth Financial
Big Apple Bagels (EDH)
Benefit and Risk Management Services (BRMS)
BT Consulting
Cold Springs Church
Datwyler Orthodontics
EDC Sheriffs Office
El Dorado County Government Center (Placerville)
El Dorado Hills Community Services District
Face in a Book
Friends of Folsom / Reliance Home Loans
Grado Construction
Heritage Community
Horn Fulton Certified Public Accountants
Intel
Lyons Orthodontics
Minis House of Pain
ONYX Real Estate
Snap Fitness (Shingle Springs)
Snap Fitness 24-7 (EDH)
Thompson Family of Dealerships
Veerkamp Engineering
Vintage Grace (EDH)
Vintage Grace (Placerville)
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