Hands4Hope Outreach Program

Hands4Hope Outreach Program involves youth in hands-on activities that directly address human and community needs, such as preparing and serving breakfast and dinner, helping in a food pantry and clothes closet, and making handmade blankets at a Blanket Making Party. Participants may spend time with seniors with various levels of dementia, lead small groups of seniors in arts and crafts, games, and simple physical activities, and help with homework, pass out snacks, do light cleaning, and provide extra supervision in youth settings. The program also includes bringing prepared or ready-to-cook dinners, sitting down for family style dinners, engaging residents in conversation, serving meals to 200 people who are food insecure, distributing to-go dinners, and offering conversation, a smile, and unconditional love and acceptance.

• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Ongoing outreach opportunities on specific days and times, including mornings, afternoons, and evenings on weekdays and Saturdays
• Price: Youth are required to pay the Hands4Hope annual registration fee to participate in most Outreach opportunities, with scholarships available; adults must be registered but do not pay an annual fee; the Empty Bowls Dinner and Kids Zone Area do not require an annual registration fee

Hands4Hope’s Outreach Opportunities include recurring activities such as food distribution support, senior crafts and games, senior dinners and food donations, an after-school club, monthly service at a dining hall, and a Blanket Making Party typically held in November. Hands4Hope After-School Committees plan drives and events, including the Blanket Making Party, which provides handmade blankets to be distributed through the Hands4Hope Winter Boutique. Most outreach opportunities are for middle and high school age youth, with some open to youth of all ages starting in Kindergarten, and typically those in elementary school, and sometimes middle school, must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult. Some opportunities, such as MAPS Peer Mentors and Sister Nora’s Place, require more commitment because of their relationship-building nature, and youth may participate as much or as little as they like according to their interests and schedule.

Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference states that its mission is to inspire and empower youth in leadership and service. Hands4Hope is a non-profit, youth-driven organization based in Northern California, with participants ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade, and it is led by a Youth Board that is mentored by a Youth Development Coordinator. Positive Youth Development and Leadership Development methodologies are embedded in all Hands4Hope Service Learning and Outreach programs, and Hands4Hope uses the Strength-based Leadership Method developed by Gallup. Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference has been chosen as the 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year for Senate District 4.

Hands4Hope’s Outreach Opportunities connect youth with community organizations that address food insecurity, affordable senior housing, after-school support for youth residents, and long-term shelter and case management for women with a history of homelessness, trauma, and serious mental and physical illness. Youth also participate in fundraiser events and other periodic opportunities, including the Honor Our Troops Spaghetti Fundraiser, Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser events, Powerhouse Ministries Community Thanksgiving and Christmas events, Images of Hope events, and 3Strands Global events. One participant, Kirsti Buckendorf, describes building relationships with the individuals served and with fellow volunteers, and credits her parents and a Hands4Hope leader, Jennifer Bassett, for guiding her to recognize her strengths and what she was capable of accomplishing during her time with Hands4Hope – Youth Making A Difference.

Last updated July 7, 2026.