Happy New Year to our Hands4Hope Community!

In 2023, Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference marks a significant milestone in our organization's history - our 15th anniversary!

What began as a small group of 12 youth serving food and playing games with children at a local affordable housing complex now encompasses a Community Engagement Program that includes a network of 40+ agency partners and an Education Program that includes 14 Service Learning School Clubs and 9 Afterschool and Yearlong Committees.

When asked about what inspired Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference, Jennifer Bassett, Hands4Hope's Founder & Executive Director said:

"I was inspired by my two boys and my desire for them to grow up to be compassionate individuals who seek to make this a better world. I wanted them to understand that there are many with needs in our own community, and that despite being young, they had the power and ability to make a difference.  

My hope was that by better understanding the needs and some of their root causes, as well as feeling how rewarding it is to help, they would be drawn to serve, in some way, for the rest of their lives."

Over the last 15 years, our program has engaged over 8,000 youth and impacted countless more lives - and we could not have done it without the support of sponsors and donors like YOU!

In 2023, we look forward to sharing more stories of how your support allows our youth to have the opportunity to be inspired and empowered in leadership and service over the years and share with you our vision for the future!



CLICK HERE TO FIND A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

• JANUARY | Ryan Christopher Hersh Scholarship Committee Applications
• Jan. 5 | Aspire Outfitters Committee - New & Gently Used Shoe Drive
• Jan. 11 | Financial Literacy & Interview Preparedness Workshop
• FEBRUARY | 14th Annual Toiletries Drive (TBD)



• January Community Engagement Outreaches - Volunteer Opportunities!
• Jan. 5 - Aspire Outfitters Committee New & Gently Used Shoe Drive
• RSVP for the Financial Literacy & Interview Preparedness Workshop!
• “A Christmas Experience” Benefit Concert Thank You!
• Youth Spotlight: Chloe Deiss (Union Mine HS)
• New Staff Spotlight - Sam Ferrand (Education Program Coordinator)
• Warm & Fuzzy Drive Winter Boutique Wrap-Up
• Winter Carriage Rides Youth Board Fundraiser Update 
• Join the Ryan Christopher Hersh Scholarship Committee!
• We’re Hiring! Operations Director - Learn more & apply!



Most needed are athletic/everyday wear shoes in the following sizes: Boys and girls sizes 1-6 for elementary school age students, Men’s sizes 8-12 and women’s sizes 7-9 for teens

Our FREE Financial Literacy & Interview Preparedness Workshop is coming up on January 11, 2023 from 5:00-7:00 pm!

Open to high school students (9-12 grades), U.S. Bank representatives will cover topics related to personal and project budgeting and fiscal responsibility, as well as how to translate volunteer and school experiences into marketable and employable skills. 

We encourage interested youth to sign up for this FREE WORKSHOP!

(Note: Registration as a Hands4Hope volunteer is required to attend.)

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are closer to our vision of expanding our Placerville Youth Center by 2000 square feet to better address those who desperately need services.

From the bottom of our hearts, we also wanted to say THANK YOU to:

💙 4 El Dorado and Leonard & Linda Grado (Grado Construction) for organizing

this incredible event and fundraiser and Seventh Day Adventist Church for providing the facility for the event

💚 The Heritage Singers, the musical stars of the night, for providing the entertainment and getting us all in the holiday spirit!

🧡 Executive Chef John Sanders of Old Town Grill in Placerville for catering the event so beautifully & donating the food and service

💙 Susie Davies and her team from MORE for helping with the catering

💚 Our youth, staff & adult volunteers for their help!

🧡 Everyone who attended, raised awareness about, and made donations in support of the Hands4Hope Placerville Youth Center Expansion Project!

Click on the button below to learn more about our vision for the

Placerville Youth Center Expansion Project! We appreciate your support!

Union Mine High School junior, Chloe Deiss, has been a Hands4Hope participant since the 7th grade and is now the President of her Service-Learning School Club and Treasurer of the Youth Board Executive Committee. She attributes her experience at Hands4Hope for helping her become a confident leader and communicator. 

“If someone was considering joining Hands4Hope I would definitely recommend them to join. You will meet so many great people and build so many relationships. You will have so much fun and have so many new opportunities.”

We are always encouraged to hear our youth share about the wonderful relationships they’ve built with their peers and adult mentors while they are involved in opportunities that Hands4Hope offers which develop leadership skills and empower youth to positively impact their community. 

Visit our blog to learn more about another one of our exceptional youth leaders!

This month, we’d like to introduce you to Sam Ferrand!

Sam joins our incredibly dedicated Education Team which provides oversight and mentorship to 14 youth-led service-learning clubs and 9 yearly and seasonal committees for youth in 6-12th grades at schools from Folsom to Placerville.

In her role as an Education Program Coordinator, Sam will oversee Clubs & Committees in El Dorado Hills and at our El Dorado Hills Youth Center.  

Sam’s positive energy and her training as a life coach will be beneficial in helping her reach her goal of providing the youth she works with an opportunity to “build trust with their team and be in a safe place where they can try something new or move out of their comfort zone knowing it’s ok if they make mistakes.” 

We'd love for you to get to know more about our amazing staff!

It was the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” for our annual horse-drawn Holiday Carriage Ride fundraiser at the EDH Town Center! Our first two dates in December were canceled due to rain but fortunately, the skies cleared just in time to allow us to offer carriage rides for our guests on Saturday, December 17th.

We are grateful to our Hands4Hope volunteers and everyone in our community who came out to enjoy a Carriage Ride - this year, we raised $475!

The Hands4Hope Youth Board will use these funds to help create awareness about the importance of Mental Health. In prior years, monies raised from ticket sales went towards non-profits and agencies such as Walk With Austin, Upper Room Dining Hall, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Lilliput Families.

Thank you to the El Dorado Town Center for coordinating this event in support of local non-profits like Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference!



Hands4Hope’s 13th Annual Warm & Fuzzy Drive and Winter Boutique / Blanket Making Party took place over the months of October through December. 

This year, we collected over 12,000 warm clothing items and impacted over 900 individuals!

Visit our website to read the complete wrap-up of our 13th Annual Warm & Fuzzy Drive and Winter Boutique event written by Jasmine Jenik, Oak Ridge High School senior and 2022 Winter Boutique Chair who has been volunteering with Hands4Hope since 2018.

Ryan Christopher Hersh was an active participant in Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference for many years, assisting with food collection and distribution, homeless outreaches, and mentoring children at a local food and clothing distribution site. He was a kind and gentle young man who served with love, respect, and an open heart. 

Ryan passed away when he was 18 and his grandparents established the Ryan Christopher Hersh (RCH) Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2015 to continue his legacy by giving youth with limited means the opportunity to attend a summer camp in which they will be able to further develop an interest or skill. 

Applications for the Ryan Christopher Hersh (RCH) Scholarship Committee! Youth in 7th-12th grades are encouraged to apply!

Hands4Hope’s 14th Annual Toiletries Drive is coming in February!

If you’d like to set aside items to donate, please consider the most requested items from the suggested list. (Note: Some of our families affected by the Caldor fire are still living out of campsites and campers and they have a specific need for RV Toilet Paper.)

Multiple local schools and businesses participate in our Toiletries Drive and the schools who collect the most items receive a “Traveling Toiletries Drive Trophy!”

Visit our website to learn more about the Toiletries Drive and find out which schools were last year’s trophy winners!

For more information, please contact [email protected].

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW OPPORTUNITY IN THE NEW YEAR?

Join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference! Explore this incredible opportunity to use your time and talents to make a difference in the lives of youth and those they serve! 

Our expanding organization seeks to hire a part-to-full time (30-40 hours/week) Operations Director (OD) who will play an instrumental role in the growth and impact of Hands4Hope!

To learn more & apply, visit: www.hands4hopeyouth/jobs

Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference

is a youth-driven non-profit charitable 501(c)3 organization whose

mission is to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. 

Our vision is to develop a community of civic-minded and

socially responsible citizens for generations to come.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY!