This week’s announcement from Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference should give all of us pause. The nonprofit, which has served as a catalyst for youth leadership and service in our community for more than a decade, has temporarily suspended its on-campus programs at Sutter Middle School, Folsom Middle School, Folsom High School, and Vista del Lago High School. The reason is not a lack of vision, commitment, or results—it’s the financial strain of sustaining those programs without broader community support. And unless that support comes soon, these programs may remain silent at a time when so many of our youth are eager to serve and lead.
Hands4Hope’s story is one of grassroots success built on a simple but transformative concept: give young people the tools and trust to lead service projects themselves. Founded in El Dorado Hills in 2008 and expanded into Folsom in the years that followed, the organization has empowered thousands of students to investigate needs in their community, plan ways to address them, take action, reflect on their efforts, and demonstrate the results. It is service learning in its purest form—teaching responsibility, empathy, and leadership through real-world work that benefits others.
The numbers behind their impact are not just impressive, they are inspiring. In the last school year alone, 185 Folsom students participated in Hands4Hope’s school-based clubs, contributing 4,285 hours of service to our community. Those hours weren’t theoretical exercises—they were spent visiting with and assisting residents at Creekview Manor senior housing, raising funds and awareness for animal shelters, collecting food for local pantries, and delivering tangible help to those who needed it most. Multiply that work across all Hands4Hope programs in our region, and the impact swells: in 2024–25, youth logged over 14,800 hours of service, improving the lives of more than 12,700 people and animals.
These achievements have earned recognition on a national scale. Hands4Hope clubs consistently receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award, with Folsom schools’ leadership teams earning Silver and Gold honors. But the truest measure of their success is not in certificates or statistics—it’s in the young leaders who emerge from these programs confident, compassionate, and prepared to keep serving long after graduation.
The pause of these programs is not a closure. The organization has made clear this is a strategic reset aimed at building a more sustainable model. That means re-evaluating funding streams, finding new community partnerships, and ensuring the infrastructure exists to keep the programs thriving long term. But sustainability does not happen in a vacuum. It happens when a community recognizes the value of something and takes ownership in keeping it alive. Without immediate support, the programs that have shaped so many young leaders here in Folsom will remain dormant, and the students who have been waiting for their chance to serve will have to keep waiting.
Hands4Hope has never been about charity in the narrow sense—it is about empowerment. When a middle school student plans a clothing drive, or a high school leadership team organizes a fundraiser for a local cause, they are learning project management, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. They are also learning that their voice matters and that their actions have power. This kind of learning can’t be replicated in a textbook or a lecture hall—it happens only when students are trusted with real responsibility and given the guidance to succeed.
The organization’s leadership has been clear about what needs to happen next. They are calling on individuals, families, local businesses, civic organizations, and anyone who believes in the value of youth leadership to step forward. Financial contributions are critical to bridging this gap, but so is volunteer time, mentorship, and helping connect Hands4Hope with opportunities for grants and sponsorships. Every dollar, every hour, every shared connection helps chart the roadmap for these programs to reopen in our schools.
We should not underestimate what is at stake. Without programs like Hands4Hope, many young people will lose a chance to discover their capacity for leadership and service. Our community will lose the projects and initiatives that have quietly but meaningfully improved the lives of neighbors, seniors, and countless others. And we will lose the momentum of a generation learning that giving back is not just admirable—it’s essential.
Folsom has always rallied when the need is clear. Today, the need could not be clearer. Hands4Hope has given our youth the tools to lead, serve, and make a difference. It is our turn to lead by example, to rally resources and connections, and to ensure that these programs not only return but return stronger than ever.
The students of Hands4Hope are waiting. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer. If you would like to make a difference and join them on their road to sustainability, email the organization directly at info@hands4hopeyouth.org.
Bill Sullivan is the co-founder and managing publisher of Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC locally owned and operated in Folsom, California.
