Hands4Hope Fundraiser will help women and children recover from homelessness
Women who struggle with poverty, addiction, and homelessness often do not have access to appropriate services, leaving them and their children with few or no options. To help provide for these women and allow them to stay with their children, Powerhouse Ministries created its Women and Children’s Center to provide no-cost housing and recovery services in the Folsom area, with an ultimate goal of building an empathetic and safe community.
The Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference Youth Board recently hosted its first ever Pastries and Pastels – Paint to Empower Women & Children at the Folsom Community Center to bring attention to the struggles of local women and children who face poverty, homelessness, and other challenges.
More than one hundred and twenty people who wanted to be a part of supporting women in the community who have faced adversity and are working on making positive changes attended the event. Attendees of all ages had the opportunity to bond and enjoy time with each other in a peaceful and relaxing environment, and take part in a bountiful grazing table, along with pastries, pies, and desserts from local bakeries. Guests also painted their own tea cup to help them decompress and appreciate the little things in life, all while supporting a life-changing cause.
The Hands4Hope Youth Board raised nearly $6,000 through event tickets, sponsorships, donations, and raffle ticket sales. All proceeds from the event will go to support the Powerhouse Ministries Women and Children’s Center and the Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference Education Programs.
The Hands4Hope Youth Board consists of 20 middle and high school youth who participate as leaders in one of Hands4Hope’s 14 on-campus Clubs or in its After-School Committees. Earlier in the year, the Youth Board voted to select women and children facing homelessness as their focused area of need. As the Youth Board developed ideas for its annual fundraiser event, the brainstorming started off with “breakfast”, then evolved to “brunch”, and then “a tea party.” The Youth Board built off of these spontaneous ideas and finally came to a consensus about the Pastries and Pastels event concept. Then, the Youth Board broke into committees to continue planning all aspects of the event: marketing, operations, decorations, and entertainment. Splitting up this seemingly vast project and then watching it all come together was the highlight of so many Youth Board members.
“I learned how to communicate with others in a business setting and how to manage projects and events through each stage of development. I enjoyed being behind the scenes of all of the main events that took place like Pastries and Pastels,” shared Evan Suneson, Folsom Community Engagement Ambassador, reflecting on his Youth Board experience this year.
“We want to thank everyone who attended,” said Mishti Shah, Youth Board President. “We especially want to thank our sponsors: Fergerson Financial, the Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference Board of Directors, Chef Juan’s Catering, Folsom Times, Designing Dreams, and Samantha Back. Also, thank you to the generous local bakeries that donated pastries and other desserts: Rainbow Orchards, Frank Vilt’s Cakes, Visconti’s, BJ Cinnamon, and Old Town Grill. We are grateful for our mentors who’ve worked alongside us the entire time. We also want to thank all the youth who worked with such eagerness to help the community we live in.”
Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference is a nonprofit, youth-driven organization with the mission to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. The nonprofit offers hands-on education and community engagement opportunities to youth from kindergarten through 12th grades through school-based and after-school programs in Sacramento and El Dorado counties. For more information visit hands4hopeyouth.org or call (916) 294-7426.
Author Mia George is a Folsom High School Junior and is the current Hands4Hope Youth Board Treasurer