Passionate youth volunteers band together to solve the world’s water crisis
Santa Barbara, Calif. (Jan. 7, 2013) – Launching into the new year, youth-led non-profit Hands4Others (H4O) is proud to announce its newest youth engagement program: H4O Clubs. As a way to expand H4O’s global mission of providing safe and sustainable access to drinking water around the world, the new H4O Clubs are set up to empower high school students nationwide to join the cause and make a difference in their community.
“When looking to affect change, so many times youth voices and volunteers are passed over because of their age,” said teen H4O Founder Spencer Dusebout. “This is a great opportunity for students passionate about making a difference to showcase their leadership skills by educating their local communities about the world’s water crisis and organizing fundraising events. For anyone wanting to get involved, it truly is an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.”
The launch of H4O Clubs will continue to help H4O achieve its goal of providing sustainable access to safe, drinkable water for those in need. The program generated excitement in 2013 with the launch of multiple California-based clubs, even garnering international interest with an H4O club based out of St. Andrews, Scotland. Working closely with the H4O chapter headquarters in Santa Barbara, club members will participate in H4O service projects that impact their community and the world. The local clubs will be given all the materials necessary to start a program. H4O Club Kits can be downloaded at www.hands4others.org.
“H4O has more than lived up to its claim of being a ‘movement of young people’ and I am constantly impressed by the ideas and excitement that members are bringing to the table” said Katie Hoeflinger, a junior and H4O Club President at Bishop Garcia Diego High School. “With H4O, whatever you think might work for the cause likely can. The possibilities are endless, making the movement very personal, exciting, and effective”
How to Start an H4O Club:
- Build A Team: Invited friends, classmates, teammates or church members
- Get An Adult Mentor: Ask a parent, teacher, coach or youth pastor
- Become Informed: It’s easy, go to www.hands4others.org to learn more, sign up for our newsletter, and/or contact H4O Project Director Casey O’Toole at Casey@hands4others.org
- Link With H4O On Your Social Media: Educate your connections via Facebook, Instragram, and Twitter
- Send Out H4O Information Letters: Send to grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends
- Participate In H4O Fundraising Events: Check out Change4Water, the upcoming Christmas Giving Program or a local Walk4Water
- Create Your Own H4O Fundraising Events: Start a bake sale, car wash or any other creative fundraising program
“H4O is an amazing organization that makes huge differences in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world without clean water,” said teen pro surfer Lakey Peterson. “Water is so present in my everyday life and H4O is using this precious resource to make the world a better place. It’s easy for young people like myself to get involved and make a real difference; just contact Casey at Casey@hands4others.org for more information about starting or joining an H4O Club.”
For more information on the organization, please visit www.hands4others.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
About Hands4Others (H40)
Hands4others (H4O) is a grass roots organization founded in the fall of 2008 in Santa Barbara by several teenagers from the community. Having traveled outside the United States, they could not shake the images of children and families forced to spend most of their time gathering insufficient amounts of dirty water – water most of us would not bathe in, let alone drink. Their response to this crisis was to form Hands4others (H4O), a movement of young people who have been called to change the world one person at a time by providing sustainable access to safe, drinkable water for those in need. To date, children and families in 11 countries around the world are currently provided with safe water because of the efforts of H4O and the generous contributions from supporters.
