Hands4Hope collects a ton of food
On New Year’s Day scores of young volunteers from Hands4Hope were out on foot with a wagon in tow, or riding scooters with a car in tow, collecting bags of groceries from neighbors to help feed those in need.
The pint-sized volunteers answered an urgent call for support. “In mid-December, the director from the Twin Lakes Food Bank, which serves Sacramento, El Dorado and Placer Counties, reached out to us with a plea for help,” said Hands4Hope’s Executive Director Jennifer Bassett. “She said the demand for food had increased an alarming 40 percent in the last two months, on top of the increases over the last two years. She needed our help filling empty food bank shelves.”
According to Bassett, the Hands4Hope youth members “accepted their mission with excitement and eagerness.” Starting Dec. 26, the kids canvassed neighborhoods from Cameron Park to Folsom, leaving grocery bags attached with a flyer listing needed items on doorsteps. On Jan. 1 and 2 the youth returned to the neighborhoods and collected a total of 2,164 pounds of food — enough to fill 15 shopping carts.
“Twin Lakes Food Bank Director Tammy Thompson told us that amount of food will feed more than 215 families!” said Bassett. “She was amazed at what the kids could do, and called them ‘shining examples.’ We were all thrilled with the generosity of neighbors who made this last-minute food drive such a success.”
Hands4Hope is a non-profit youth outreach organization whose mission is to grow the next generation of socially responsible citizens by engaging youth in community outreach. For more information on Hands4Hope visit hands4hopeyouth.org.
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Posted by Special to Village Life
on Jan 9 2012.
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