Kristen Patterson has served as Executive Director of New Morning Youth & Family Services since 2022. Her career has been dedicated to supporting at-risk youth, beginning with her work at the Contra Costa Probation Department. Before stepping into her current leadership role, she was the Shelter Director at New Morning’s Ashby House. Kristen is actively involved in the community, serving on the Child Abuse Prevention Council, the Commission on Youth and Families, and the El Dorado County Continuum of Care (El Dorado Opportunity Knocks). A resident of El Dorado County for a decade, she is the proud mother of three young adult children. In her free time, you’ll find her exploring the Eastern Sierras in Penny, her camper van.
Last week, we heard from Jennifer Bassett, Founder and Executive Director of Hands4Hope – Youth Making a Difference, along with Lily H., a student at PHS and President of the Youth Board Executive Committee. Hands4Hope empowers students in grades 6–12 to become civic-minded, socially responsible leaders. Through on-campus clubs and after-school committees at Youth Centers in El Dorado Hills and Placerville, participants engage in service-learning projects that promote exploration, action, and leadership. The organization currently supports 10 clubs across middle and high school campuses in El Dorado County.
More than just providing hope, Hands4Hope equips students with the tools they need to thrive—in school, in their communities, and in life. Through hands-on activities that address real human and community needs, students gain insight into social issues and discover the powerful impact youth can have in creating positive change.
As reflected in some of their highlights below, this is truly an extraordinary club!
58,335 pounds of food collected for the hungry in our community.
70,106 meals provided to those experience food insecurity.
76,300 articles of clothing and blankets collected and distributed.
103,113 school supplies collected and distributed.
19,080 pounds of toiletries collected and distributed.
$402,154 raised for local outreach projects close to their hearts.
We sponsored two amazing students this year at Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) at the Grizzly Ranch in Portola. At RYLA Camp, they experience a challenging program of discussions, inspirational addresses, leadership training and social activities designed to enhance personal development, leadership skills and good citizenship. UMHS student Sal spoke about his experiences with the club on July 10, followed by PHS student Grace on July 17. Both described their involvement as a transformative, life-changing experience that helped threw grow as individuals and leaders. Members were very impressed with these candidates!
Jennifer Bassett and Lily H., Hands4Hope (Speakers), guests of Club.
Bill & Kelly Smythe, Rotary Club of Palm Desert.
Mark Hornstra, Rotary Club of El Dorado Hills.
Grace, our RYLA candidate and PHS student, guest of Club.
Announcements:
Adam Marshall
Interviewed Dan Gott for the "Unite for Good" moment. Dan's favorite project thus far was the beer and wine booth at the fair. Attending San Diego State was a fact most members did not know about him.
During the Membership Moment,Tom Elken and Laurie Edwards gave a brief overview of the club's website, Facebook page, and the ClubRunner app, along with future plans to expand the club's social media's presence by adding Instagram. To assist members who may have forgotten their log-in credentials, Laurie brought a list of usernames to the meeting. Both Tom and Laurie are available to help members
Reminded members that volunteers are needed for Club Bulletin Editor and President Nominee. If interested, please contact him.
Gary Clarke: Teamsters will meet at El Dorado Disposal to pick up bikes this Tuesday at 10:00 am for delivery to Folsom State Prison. Our club is also donating a bike to the Shingle Springs Community Center for their Bunco night.
Cathy Dugan: Mike and she recently made a $500 donation to assist the Shingle Springs Community Center. Volunteers are needed to assist with their Bunco night.
Rich Grieco: Recently spoke to former beloved member Steve Long, who reported he is responding well to treatment.
Happy (or Not) Bucks
Adam Marshall: $10 happy for being happy about multiple things.
Bill Smythe: $20 happy for this being his third meeting visiting different Rotary Clubs.
Kathy Thompson: $33 happy for her son's 33rd birthday.
Cathy Dugan: $15 happy for her granddaughter's 15th birthday today.
Joe Ryan: $7 happy for having 70 refurbished bikes available to take to the refugees at LAO Center next Tuesday.
Liam Roddy: $5 happy for meeting a friend in Napa Valley and discovering he is also a Rotarian.
Laurie Edwards: $5 happy for getting the DNA results for her new puppy revealing she is not part German Shepherd. While the shelter had identified Lizzie as a beagle, the results revealed she is a fetching mix of at least 10 other different breeds- none of which were beagle!
Birthdays in July
Gary Clarke
Bill Hughes
Kellee Sellwood
Suzy O'Neal
-----Spouses-----
Chris Sanders
Sandy Elken
Anniversaries in July
Don and Linda Fuller
Janelle and Dale Horne
Ben and Lacey Young
Rotary Join Date in July
Terry Wilson: 50 years
Gary Clarke: 21 years
Marlyln Pino-Jones: 5 years
Upcoming Sergeant of Arms Assignments
Please arrive early, serve as greeter, take attendance via the sign-in roster at the front desk, lead the pledge, introduce guests, provide words of wisdom, and other duties as requested. If you are unable to serve, it is your responsibility to find a replacement and notify President Adam.
Kristen Patterson has served as Executive Director of New Morning Youth & Family Services since 2022. Her career has been dedicated to supporting at-risk youth, beginning with her work at the Contra Costa Probation Department. Before stepping into her current leadership role, she was the Shelter Director at New Morning’s Ashby House. Kristen is actively involved in the community, serving on the Child Abuse Prevention Council, the Commission on Youth and Families, and the El Dorado County Continuum of Care (El Dorado Opportunity Knocks). A resident of El Dorado County for a decade, she is the proud mother of three young adult children. In her free time, you’ll find her exploring the Eastern Sierras in Penny, her camper van.
