Which school did you attend while you were a Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference participant and how many years were you involved?
I first started my involvement with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference at Marina Village Middle School in 6th grade. I really enjoyed it and thought that it was a great experience, so I continued all the way through high school.
Why did you join Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference & how did you hear about it?
I joined Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference in order to help my community. I believed in the organization's purpose and felt like it was a good fit for me. I learned about the club through my brother, who was involved with the club when I first started.
How did Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference help you in school, post high school and now? How did your involvement help you with your friends and family, and in life?
Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference has helped me by increasing my confidence. It helped me step out of my comfort zone which resulted in me growing as a person. I believe that Hands4Hope has helped shape who I am today and I think that it has also made me a better person. I have met great people during my time in the club, and I have made great relationships with the other volunteers.
Describe your very first experience with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference.
The first year I was with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference, our group decided to work towards donating to the Heifer Project, which has the goal of ending poverty and hunger across the world. That year, we held a lot of fundraisers to raise money for the project and we were able to help them out.
Do you have a fun or funny story about some aspect of your work with us?
During our leadership camps at Coloma, I decided to do the high ropes course blindfolded. It was a very fun experience, and I was able to push my limits.
What value do you think Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference adds to the community?
Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference provides great services to the community. One example that I was involved with is Kids Oasis. This program allowed parents to shop in the food pantry and clothing closet at Green Valley Community Church while we watched over and played with their kids. Not only does it help the children, but I believe it also helps shape the volunteers. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference helps the community by helping others, but it also helps the community by creating a new generation that is more involved with helping others.
Overall, I have always had a great time with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference. Everything about it: the meetings, the fundraisers, the events, and more, are always enjoyable. One of my favorite memories with Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference, other than volunteering, was going to camp. I loved the team building exercises and learning about myself as a leader. Currently, I am working towards becoming a History and a Government teacher for high school. I want to keep being a part of my community and I feel like teaching is a great way to do that.
