Aspire Kids El Dorado Removes Barriers and Builds Resilience with Dignity and Compassion.

Growing up in foster care, Jodi Mottashed's childhood was anything but ordinary. Her experiences sparked a passion to change lives, leading her to establish Aspire Kids El Dorado, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting youth in rural communities. Join us as Jodi shares how her personal journey fueled a mission to break down barriers for children in El Dorado County, providing scholarships for transformative experiences, clothing, and sports equipment. With partnerships alongside schools, social workers and other organizations, Aspire Kids El Dorado ensures that children can embrace a sense of normalcy and dignity, moving beyond trauma to build resilience.

Funding a nonprofit is never straightforward, especially when the world faces unexpected challenges like a pandemic. Jodi opens up about the complexities of financial sustainability, shifting from dependence on foundation grants to cultivating a robust individual donor base. We explore the organization's growth trajectory with dreams of creating a boutique-like space for families and extending their reach to more communities, including the Tahoe area. Collaboration is key, and Jodi discusses how shared resources and teamwork among nonprofits can lead to sustainable impact and opportunities for disadvantaged youth.

The holiday season often brings out the best in communities, and Jodi recounts stories of generosity that have left lasting impressions on students' lives. From receiving Christmas presents to essential items that help them feel valued, these acts of kindness contribute to building trust and self-worth among youth. The conversation sheds light on the critical role clothing plays in shaping high school identities, and how Aspire Kids El Dorado is leveling the playing field to foster inclusivity. With support extending across counties like El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo, Aspire Kids El Dorado is paving the way for consistent support services, ensuring every child and family can access a network of care and empowerment.

To learn more about the organization, visit the website HERE.

Chapter Summaries

(00:00) Supporting Youth in Rural Communities
Aspire Kids El Dorado provides resources for children in foster care, including scholarships, clothing, and experiences, to remove barriers and build resilience.

(11:26) Funding and Future Growth Plans
Transitioning from foundation grants to individual donors, expanding programs and outreach, and creating a clothing initiative.

(22:08) Building Trust and Impacting Lives
Community support during holidays impacts children's lives, trust-building, collaboration between organizations, and creating a network of care.

(26:37) Empowering Youth Through Fashion
Clothing shapes high school students' identity and can lead to unfair judgments among peers. Solutions and initiatives are needed for a more inclusive environment.

Thank you so much for listening! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

Transcript

Jodi Mottashed: [00:00:00] Resource closets and the prom closets especially anybody can come in. So it does add to the normalcy kinda feel. We just want them to feel good about it so everybody has access. So it doesn't make it odd because that is the biggest part is being able to allow them to pick out their own things. Not feeling good about your clothes and having clothes that you feel comfortable in is a major cause of truancy.

And so if we can get them to school, that's more opportunities for them to create healthy relationships with people that are good for them to be around.

Jeff Holden: Hi, I'm Jeff Holden. Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion is to highlight a nonprofit organization in each weekly episode, giving that organization an opportunity to tell their story. In their words, to better inform and educate the respective communities they serve, as well as provide one more tool [00:01:00] for them to share their message to constituents and donors.

I. Our goal is to help build stronger communities through shared voices, and to both encourage and support the growth of local nonprofit organizations through podcasting, thanks to our founding partners for their foresight in helping us transform the way conversations start. CAPTRUST fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations.

Runyon Saltzman, incorporated. RSE. Marketing, advertising and public relations, creating integrated communications committed to improving lives and Western Health Advantage, a full service healthcare plan for individuals, employer groups, and families. Our goal is to help build stronger communities through shared voices, and to both encourage and support the growth of local nonprofit organizations through podcasting, thanks to our founding partners for their foresight in helping us transform the way conversations start.

CAPTRUST fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations. Runyon Saltzman Incorporated, [00:02:00] RSE, marketing, advertising and Public Relations, creating integrated communications committed to improving lives and Western Health Advantage, a full service healthcare plan for individuals, employer groups, and families.

What happens when a high school student doesn't have the means to find proper clothing for prom, even though he or she really wants to go? Or more simply reasonable clothing for school. Picture a grammar school child with shoes so worn. The souls are flapping Invitations to birthday parties and school events are non-starters.

When you're embarrassed about the way you look, especially at these ages, social media can destroy self-esteem and confidence. Enter Jody Mashed, executive Director of Aspire Kids El Dorado. Growing up in foster care, Jodi's personal experiences fueled her mission to support youth in rural communities by breaking down barriers and fostering resilience.

Jodi shares the remarkable ascent of Aspire [00:03:00] Kids El Dorado, from providing scholarships for childhood experiences to creating a sense of normalcy and dignity through clothing and sports equipment. Leveling the playing field to ensure every child can access a network of care and empowerment is what we'll explore.

Giving as many youth as possible the opportunity to do what most children do. Growing up. Jody Moshed, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Jodi Mottashed: Thank you. Thanks for having me. 

Jeff Holden: Aspire Kids, El Dorado is an interesting name. You might think like Inspire kids. But Aspire Kids is a little bit unique. And then El Dorado at the back.

Can you explain the meaning and the origin of the name? 

Jodi Mottashed: It's a little more intrinsic. We, obviously, we always wanna inspire the people around us, but what we really wanna do is clear up space so that kids aren't worrying about their day to day so that they can aspire to do what they want to do and they have room to make those choices and, and dream that way.

Uhhuh and then El Dorado. [00:04:00] We had originally hoped to really expand out a little further and, and have other counties, but there's a lot to do in El Dorado County alone, so we. Just really focus on El Dorado. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. And you realize at some point this is a big enough county. Mm-hmm. Because if I'm not mistaken, your geography takes you all the way to Tahoe.

Jodi Mottashed: Yes. All the way to the Nevada border. So that's, it's a big space and a lot of people in there. So, and, and the majority of which is rural. And there's a greater need than, than most people anticipate, 

Jeff Holden: as with so many of the leaders that we speak with. The cause is really important to them. In some cases, they exemplify the cause or have experienced the issue that they're trying to correct.

That's the case with you as well. Why did you feel a need? To start the organization and, and at this point people don't really even know what the organization does, but we're gonna get there, 

Jodi Mottashed: right? So originally we started my, one of my, I have four boys and one of them [00:05:00] was six and getting a little lecture about why he should be grateful for all the things he gets to do in his life.

That turned into a much bigger conversation over a course of several years. About one day we were gonna do something to help all these other kids. It took a little while for me to really come down to the real. Basic of what I was, where I was, and when I really sat and spent some time figuring that out.

I grew up until I was 12 in foster care. Mm-hmm. And was placed seven times with either kinship care or in foster homes. And so when it all kind of came together and we were building out the programs and learning more about what the need was, I realized. The reason it's so close to my heart is I was one of these kids that just didn't get to do all the other things that everyone else got to do.

So that is where, where it all really stems from 

Jeff Holden: in a bit of a sense of different gratitude as somebody who's seven times in 12 years. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yes, and well, and, and actually probably seven times in seven years or eight years. So it was a, it was a lot. I moved, I was moved around a lot and honestly, so [00:06:00] grateful to those people.

Not everyone has a great foster care experience, right? I happened to have several. They were amazing, and I was able to learn. What I, things that I, different choices that I would make as an adult and eventually placed with my dad where I should have been. So and so. It all ended up working out, but, and that's not everyone's experience.

Mm-hmm. But I want to be able to provide opportunities for, for kids to, to connect with people the way I did when I was little. 

Jeff Holden: Which is a perfect segue into what is it that the organization does. 

Jodi Mottashed: So our overarching mission is to remove barriers and help kids build res resilience to any trauma that they may have experienced.

So we do that through partnering with schools primarily, but also social workers and therapists in the county. We have seven programs, but we are, the goal is to be able to connect them to healthy activities and healthy, healthy people. Mm-hmm. Healthy relationships, whether that's an adult relationship or other kids to many of kids [00:07:00] in, in these low income situations or just if their families just aren't able to make.

Mental space for even getting their kids out because they're so worried about where they're living or what, what they're eating, or if they're working that, and just paying the bills and paying the bills that we can give these kids an opportunity to just do normal kid things. So our program that we started with was a scholarship program, or is a scholarship program.

So we will pay for anything up to, well, right now the limits always change a little year by year, depending on budget, but the funding. Right. But this year we're at $500. So for. If we can be summer camp or sports, we do a lot of drivers ed and drivers training yearbooks, anything that's a normal. Childhood experience we want to connect them with.

And then we have a clothing closet. We provide duffel bags of clothes in emergent clothes. So we'll get a call from a school or a social worker sometimes. And there's somebody that came to school, they don't have, you know, they have holes in their shoes or they don't have clothes that are fitting and we'll provide them.

But we also provide them through resource closets at several different schools so that they [00:08:00] can shop for themselves. We provide sports equipment and we have prom popup. Shops going on for kids getting ready for prom and a program called Hands-on Will where we will arrange field trips or things so that they can see what job opportunities there are.

Mm-hmm. Or career opportunities. And then, um, one of our favorites is the ELF Project. So we do Christmas, too, Christmas for lots of kids. 

Jeff Holden: And I know one of the things that was important when we were speaking was the being able to get that clothing. With dignity. Mm-hmm. So that it's not obvious you're going to the closet right at school and they, oh look, she or he is wearing those, the jeans we saw the other day, or the tennis shoes or whatever.

Right. How do you do that? 

Jodi Mottashed: If it's an emergent need, we really, I try to get as much information. Sometimes it's better to find out what the kids don't like than it is what they do. Like, you know, so we're giving them things that we know that they're gonna want to wear. Mm-hmm. In sizes that are gonna fit.

But at the resource closets and the prom closets especially, it's open to anyone. They don't have to prove, they don't have to have [00:09:00] like a signed, like, we can't afford my prom dress, so here I am. Anybody can come in. So it does add to the normalcy. Feel, we just want them to feel good about it. So last year there was a student that she came in apologizing.

I have, I bought an expensive dress last year, but I, I just have school expenses this year. It's a great pick out, you know, pick out a dress and go get your friends. Right, 

Jeff Holden: right. 

Jodi Mottashed: Bring your friends so everybody has access so it doesn't make it. Odd or mm-hmm. It doesn't make, it doesn't feel uncomfortable because that is the biggest part is feeling, being able to allow them to pick out their own things.

Not feeling good about your clothes and having clothes that you feel comfortable in is a major cause of truancy. And so if we can get them to school, that's more opportunities for them to create healthy relationships with people that are good for them to be around. 

Jeff Holden: In terms of the programs themselves, you mentioned therapists.

Mm-hmm. And are those school counselors, are those off campus therapists? Is it something that is all encompassed within the school and is it just high school or does it go into grammar [00:10:00] school as well? 

Jodi Mottashed: So we go zero to 18, unless they're AB 12. So if they stay in the foster system after graduation, we will continue to support them.

And it's all of the above. So our, we try to keep things really simple. We don't have big forms to fill out and you don't have lots of things to prove. There's no income verification, which is part of why we work with the third party. Because I don't wanna embarrass families by asking them to prove that there's been trauma or prove that they can't afford it.

So the therapist or social worker. So it could be a school counselor, it could be an outside therapist, it could be someone at CPS. They just have to check that they qualify by either being low income or a traumatic event. They trauma affected in some way. And then we will support them based on their verification.

So. Nobody has to mm-hmm. Go bear their souls. Right. Right. 

Jeff Holden: Let's not make this painful more to make it, make, make them worthy. Right. 

Jodi Mottashed: And then you, because then you feel like you're judging their trauma and determining whose trauma is worse and it just doesn't feel good. Mm-hmm. For anyone. 

Jeff Holden: How do people find out about the organization?

Jodi Mottashed: Well, we work a lot. We ended up in a space where we work [00:11:00] primarily with schools or more often with schools, just because that's where the kids are at. Mm-hmm. So, but throughout that we have connected with different, so with different social workers at, at CPS with different therapists and the community.

So the more, the more that word spreads, the, the more it grows. 

Jeff Holden: How many families or kids I should say, do you serve in an average year? 

Jodi Mottashed: So last year we were at 1,120. 

Jeff Holden: Wow. 

Jodi Mottashed: So, and hopefully this year, actually this year we're already on track to far exceed that, so we, I'm not sure where we'll end up this year.

Yeah. It's still early. At least the 

Jeff Holden: good, bad news. Right? Right. The great news is you're servicing all these children and benefiting everybody. Mm-hmm. In the grand scheme of things. The bad news is why is that growing? 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. And it is growing exponentially with, you know, economic changes. Just, and part of it is becoming more aware that there's becoming more aware where they're at.

Mm-hmm. And, and then being available to them. They, there's, they maybe there were always more and we just didn't know. Right. Our schools. El Dorado County, [00:12:00] at least I can speak for them, are doing an incredible job at identifying McKinney-Vento or students and families that don't have stable housing and reaching out and saying, what can we do?

And then we come in as a partner to them. So it doesn't do any good for us to be the hero in that situation. My my goal is to make that therapist or social worker or school administrator, they need to be the hero for that student. Sure. So with that, they are able to find more and more kids all the time.

Jeff Holden: Yeah. I would imagine the intent is really to just grow the programs if the need is there. Mm-hmm. To make sure that there's an awareness to benefit that child. Right. 'cause it benefits the family. Right. Do the parents get involved at all? Are they aware? 

Jodi Mottashed: I'm sure they're aware from a perspective that they have to register their kids or some, and sadly, there's a lot of unaccompanied teenagers that, that get, that have services.

The parents don't know, but for the most part, they know. They may not know where it's coming from, but they know they're, they're getting something. But that's, we kind of sit hidden in the background a little bit 

Jeff Holden: until. Your son or daughter shows up with a [00:13:00] beautiful prom press, so it's like, where did you get this?

The first thing you gotta do is ask the question. Right, 

Jodi Mottashed: right. Yeah. And most of them say, we did a career expo last night at the school, and they said, oh wait, are you the people that do the prom thing? 

Jeff Holden: Oh, very cool. That'd be us. Yes. That's neat. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yeah. So it gets around eventually, but sometimes I think they know, and sometimes I'm not sure 

Jeff Holden: you've got.

Collaboration through CPS and through the school system. Mm-hmm. What does it look like with other organizations? Who else do you collaborate with? 

Jodi Mottashed: My collaboration's like one of my favorite words. So we try to come alongside and partner with as many people and not over we, there's no point in all doing the same thing.

Right? So we work with the school district a lot, the Office of Education a lot. We also work with Stanford Sierra. We partnered with. So many organizations at Christmas Summit View came, came in and we worked with them. Hands For Hope is another community organization that works with us. So they have a committee that will support our resource closets that we have at the high school.

So they'll, some of them do that on their campus by doing inventory for us. So we make sure we keep it [00:14:00] stocked. Some come and help us prep for prom. So any really, anytime there's another organization New Morning in the shelter. So anytime there's an organization that we're in the same realm mm-hmm. I wanna team up.

Jeff Holden: And you're a part of the Alliance too? Yes. If I'm not mistaken. Yes. Of which there's a hundred of you now mm-hmm. That all have access to each other's information and data and support, which is amazing. It it, it really is amazing. We'll be back to learn more from Jody Moshed, executive director of Aspire Kids El Dorado.

Right after we hear from the businesses that support our messaging. 

Scott Thomas: Hello, this is Scott Thomas with CAPTRUST in our Sacramento office. I specialize in working with local nonprofits and associations. Annually, we survey private and public nonprofit organizations across the country to better understand challenges they see in today's environment.

In our more recent survey, we heard concerns about proper board governance, mission aligned investment, and how to implement alternative investments. If you would like a copy of the survey or to discuss your organization, look me up, [00:15:00] scottThomas@captrust.com. 

Jeff Holden: I'm thrilled to have Western Health Advantage partnering with us as they do so much to support so many nonprofit agencies in our community.

As a truly local health plan, you'll find individual and family options, employer options plans for CalPERS and Medicare Advantage. From medical services to pharmacy health and wellness support, as well as behavioral healthcare. Western Health Advantage has a plan that fits what you need as an employer for profit or nonprofit business, individual or family.

You can find more@westernhealth.com budgets. We mentioned it a little bit earlier. What does the funding look like? How do you generate. Revenue for the organization. 

Jodi Mottashed: It has shifted a little. We were originally primarily all grant funded. Last year we were about 65% grant funded, which is still kind of too much.

It's a little uncomfortable. Well, sure. The less you have to rely on the government, the better, because who 

Jeff Holden: knows when it's gonna be there. Right? Yeah. And 

Jodi Mottashed: it's usually foundation. We haven't gotten in the [00:16:00] realm of too many government grants, but it's usually foundational. Oh, foundation grants. Okay. It's still competitive and, and you, you know, you could get 'em in one year and the next year you might not.

Right. So we have been working more and more on building our. Database, I guess you would say the donor base. So we can try to make sure people know what we're doing. Mm-hmm. It's not my best gift, so making sure they know what we're doing and why it's important so that we can build that individual donor base and keep the funding coming in so we can support markets.

Jeff Holden: Sure. The, the more people you have from a grassroots is gonna be far better than the uncertainty of a potential grant, 

Jodi Mottashed: right. 

Jeff Holden: That you may or may not get. 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. 

Jeff Holden: And back to the collaboration to maybe at some point there's an opportunity for two or three organizations to go in. Then you increase the odds of the grant and you can all mm-hmm.

Benefit from them in multiple years versus 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. 

Jeff Holden: You know, just that one and then the next. And then the next. 

Jodi Mottashed: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: We have to talk to the foundations about that too. Yeah. Because it's nice, but it's not sustaining. 

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And you know, you might even [00:17:00] see two or three year grants. Mm-hmm. But then what, 

Jodi Mottashed: yes, you 

Jeff Holden: may build yourself to some point at that third year.

Mm-hmm. Where now I really need the money more than I did. Mm-hmm. Year one. Yeah. Because I executed the basics or the tenets of the, the grant. Right. 

Jodi Mottashed: The greatest. Now what? My greatest the most, the thing you're most excited about and the thing you're most terrified of is actually growing the programs 

Jeff Holden: growing.

Jodi Mottashed: Right. Right. Because we did it. But now what? Right. Keeping up is tar is harder. It is 

Jeff Holden: with business too. Mm-hmm. It's, it's, it's all the same. And these are businesses. Mm-hmm. What's the annual budget you work with roughly 

Jodi Mottashed: for 2025? We are at 234,000. 

Jeff Holden: Okay, so it's, it's growing into mm-hmm. A reasonably sized organization.

Yes. Good for you. Yes. 

Jodi Mottashed: I feel we're like agro, we're almost, we're like a teenager. We're, we're a teen nonprofit now. Right. And you started 

Jeff Holden: right before the pandemic? Yes. Like 2018. 

Jodi Mottashed: 2018. Mm-hmm. Okay. So in 2018 we did one scholarship. We did. Very little, just learning how to figure out what we were doing. Yeah.

Not that I've a hundred percent done that yet, [00:18:00] but we're, we're much further along, but we really were just getting rolling. When 2020 came about, which is how we ended up starting the clothing program and different things because we had time and no, and we had donations, so we were able to start doing those.

Some more things 

Jeff Holden: are, are the donations for the clothing in clothing themselves or are they actually, I. Gifts of, of monetary exchange to go buy something. 

Jodi Mottashed: It's primarily clothing. Clothing, okay. So we are really picky. We get a lot of donations, an overwhelming amount of clothing, donations, and I'm sure you sift some.

And then we sift and we usually bring in a lot of teenagers to help us with that because they're much more discerning in the realm of what's. Popular and cool than Yeah, I am. So they are good about it. So we, we probably only keep about 50% of what's given to us. Mm-hmm. So that we make sure it's really gonna be used.

But we have a lot of donations. So, but it's fun, it's great. But, you know, well, 

Jeff Holden: I, I am thinking now. As somebody who's lived through generations of clothing, it's retro again. Exactly [00:19:00] what was then. We were just talking about something in the seventies. Yes. You know, a, a strap and it's like they're popular again.

Jodi Mottashed: I just said that yesterday we were unloading, we have a, we just opened a resource closet at Stanford Sierra in Placerville for their families. That's the kids are, are getting therapy. The parents can shop for food and clothes, uhhuh. And I said my mom picked out clothes and I think she did the best because.

Her clothes are now popular. Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: It's all back. The demand is on those. Yes. Who would've thought, right. We hated it when we were getting rid of it, for sure. 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. But now, 

Jeff Holden: and then we still hate it, looking at it again, but it's popular. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Let's take a minute to dream a little bit. If somebody walked in and said, Jody, here's a blank check maybe for you.

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Or for whatever organization, what would it look like? What would you tell them? Here's what I would do if I had that. 

Jodi Mottashed: I mean, there's a short term goal, which we're working on right now. We have a space that actually we share a space with Hands for Hope in Placerville to renovate [00:20:00] that space so that we can have a boutique.

Like a, a free thrift shop for mostly teens, but families to come in and shop mm-hmm. And bring in other organizations and have that. But really my biggest dream is, is ultimately to be able to get to all the way to Tahoe and include all the middle schools. And we're, there's so many kids in so many schools, we're not.

Even talking to, because we just can't either because of physical limitations, limitations. Right. There's only one of me. Or, and also just financially there's, you know, everything takes, takes an increased budget to add more. Mm-hmm. So, and, and we have talked more about wanting to have, you know, we could, we do take hits on field trips, but.

More field trips and more access to what could their life look like if they were able to see that there's other possibilities. So more field trips and classes that we could introduce them to. Things that, so they can aspire to new things. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Aspire. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And what's interesting about that, I'm, I'm just thinking as you're talking about, 'cause you're [00:21:00] up in El Dorado County.

Mm-hmm. There are kids from the city, from Elk Grove, west Sac, Sacramento who have never been to the snow. Right. Ever. 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. 

Jeff Holden: And it's almost incomprehensible, but some of the organizations there, hey, we take 'em to the snow. Mm-hmm. Your trips would be, let's take 'em downtown to Doco to experience an elevator.

Yes. In a tall building, which is something they probably would never see. Mm-hmm. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yeah. A few years ago we, before we had to, we had, originally we were covering Sacramento and Placer County and Amador, we shrunk back to El Dorado only because of budget and we weren't doing a lot outside anyway, because I'm in, sure.

I'm in El Dorado County, so I'm right there. But we helped some kids at a school in Sacramento that those kids had never been on the freeway before. Wow. 'cause they just stay in their little space, right? Because they don't have access to go anywhere else. So, so you think there's so much of that, there's so much that they don't see and they don't know.

And if you've never left your little bubble or your, it's not even really a bubble, it's not a protected bubble. Right. Because you really [00:22:00] don't know. They have no idea that they can dream to be a chef or anything. So we, some of the schools, we take them and say, give us a list of jobs. You think Sound cool?

Mm-hmm. And then we'll go find a place to. See if you really like it. Right. And some of them are borderline, like that's, these are not jobs people have, like, not everybody's an NBA player. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Right. So you may not make that because you're five might five, but we'll, we'll get you you somewhere. Right.

Probably not gonna be, 

Jodi Mottashed: but we'll get you somewhere. Right. So, so just even giving them opportunities to dream about that kind of thing, we do that. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, again, as you're saying this, I'm just thinking of all the other organizations we've had pass through who. Do so much with the kids. Mm-hmm. You know, the aerospace museum mm-hmm.

The air show mm-hmm. 

Jodi Mottashed: Is, is 

Jeff Holden: an, it's a year long event 

Jodi Mottashed: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: For kids to experience and see what it's like to work on a tarmac mm-hmm. 

Jodi Mottashed: Or 

Jeff Holden: be at the airfield. 

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: To know that those are all jobs that they can qualify for. Right. And they just never get to see it. 

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Or down to the [00:23:00] Mosa Museum and, oh, look at all these things that require people to do them.

Jodi Mottashed: Right. 

Jeff Holden: It's amazing when you think about sometimes the, the under privilege of some things are stuff that we take so for granted, I mean, literally our environment. Mm-hmm. And 

Jodi Mottashed: yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Some of these kids don't see it. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yeah. So the more we can get them access to, even if it's just for a couple of hours mm-hmm.

It gets them thinking that there's something beyond their space. Right. 

Jeff Holden: Now back to reality of the, of the budget is here. Yes, you are dealing with it and it is a struggle all the time. Mm-hmm. And we certainly understand that. What is the greatest need that you've got at this point? 

Jodi Mottashed: Our greatest need, and it's always so hard.

I always wanna make it sound like it's really like fancy and it has something to do with kids, but it does essentially have, like we have, I have been doing this by myself for the last seven years. Mm-hmm. So we did just make our first hire. You did. 'cause in our previous 

Jeff Holden: conversation, we hadn't gotten, I know what I did there [00:24:00] yet.

Congratulations. Thank 

Jodi Mottashed: you. But a whole 10 hours a week, but it's 10 hours a week of freeing me up to do other things. Yes. So, and I'm so grateful to her, but. I tend to get an idea in my head and go do it without really like thinking that eventually I will run out of hours. Mm-hmm. So it's, we really are to this, to this place where we need to start really funding more from a business perspective of.

We need people and we need, you know, actual people to handle some of the things and some of the programs and manage some of these things so that then we can take that and then grow from there. Because there are so many kids that need it. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Well, and that's administration. Mm-hmm. And so many times some of the funding is restricted.

Right. It only goes to one place. You can't apply it to your operations administration. Mm-hmm. And I'm sure you're participating in Big Day of Giving. Mm-hmm. Which is unrestricted, right? So whatever you get there, yes. You can apply toward your new hire. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yes. Your 

Jeff Holden: employee of one. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yes. My employee of one, or I should 

Jeff Holden: say two.

You know, counting yourself. [00:25:00] If somebody is interested in learning more about Aspire Kids El Dorado mm-hmm. What's the best way to find out? 

Jodi Mottashed: Our website is a great spot. And then even just, you know, if somebody wants to have a conversation about learning more about what we do and why, there's so much to the why.

Mm-hmm. I think because so many people just don't understand the actual need and that it's so great. So I'm always good for a story. I'm like my, I'm naturally known just for my sad stories. 

Jeff Holden: Do, do you have any stories of kids tell, tell us something of something that you've seen. Maybe it was, I'm making this up, but I can see the emotional appeal of, you know, the girl coming in with no prom dress.

Mm-hmm. Or the, the young man who is, has nothing, not a suit or anything to wear. But really wants to go to prom and can Yeah. But doesn't have clothing. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yeah. I mean, they're kind of all over the place and we're so careful up there because it's, everything we do is obviously confidential, so the stories have, we always struggle share.

I struggle sharing them because, but there's always the VA at prom, there was a girl that had no intention of going, but her [00:26:00] friend literally drug her in and she found a dress and she left there saying, I'm going and we can buy the ticket. We can make sure they can get there. Mm-hmm. We had a. Last year I actually just got a thank you card from a student that said that their mom's, not his, not mom's not working this year and they were not going to get Christmas.

And because we able, we were able to get them Christmas, him and his four siblings had Christmas presents to open on Christmas morning. Mm-hmm. And just that kind of stuff. Last year there was a boy on a basketball team who was, my kids are very involved in basketball, so he. He, he was alone and living alone, and he brought his presence to, to the, to basketball practice and sat and opened them with them.

And that was, that was his family. And that meant so much to him. So those little things, just having kids, you know, get stories from the counselor that said, now I was able to build trust with that student. That student actually was grateful to me and they have not wanted anything to do with me, but because I showed up with a bag of clothes, they.

They trust me now 

Jeff Holden: and they realize somebody cared. 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. So those are all those little [00:27:00] things. They're little, but they really aren't. 

Jeff Holden: No, they're huge. Mm-hmm. I mean, we're, we're shaping lives. Mm-hmm. As these kids go through school and or experiences at that stage. I mean, they're so. Formable. Right, right.

You know, they're, they're very malleable in their, in their personalities mm-hmm. And their identity. Yeah. And it's everything to, to present well. 

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: It's hard. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yeah. And having them come back and say, I got to play baseball, or, you know, even, you know, littles, littles that get to go. Put on their baseball hat and their cleats and go play baseball.

And, and there was a, a student this year that even came back to his counselor and I saw, I keep going back to Christmas and it's so impactful. Christmas is a big deal. And said he had been in foster care the majority of his life, and every year people have asked him to fill out a wishlist. And he's like, okay, I'll fill out my wishlist and you don't really ever get it.

And that year he got every single thing that he put on his list this last year. He was like, well, somebody actually cared. About me. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Jodi Mottashed: Like, yeah, they, they really did. 

Jeff Holden: There is a Santa Claus, there really is a Santa Claus. It worked. [00:28:00] It's called Aspire Kids El Dorado. 

Jodi Mottashed: So it really worked, and those are just the more, you know, I love hearing all of that.

Yeah. Or even at Stanford, Sierra, when we set up a resource closet and a week later, almost all of the food was gone because families were so grateful to take a bag of groceries home with them. Mm-hmm. It's a big 

Jeff Holden: deal. We talked a little earlier about this, but I want to put it in the conversation because you're El Dorado County.

Mm-hmm. And you've got your hands full with just El Dorado and Plenty of Future. Yes. With just El Dorado. Yeah. But if there's any other organizations in place or Sacramento, Yolo, you are surrounding counties. Mm-hmm. Doing something similar where there would be some benefit to talk and share and understand.

It'd be important to. You know, just reach out. 

Jodi Mottashed: Absolutely. Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And so we're putting that out there now. Mm-hmm. For the benefit of anybody that might be in that position. Organizations, you know, I can think of a couple that mm-hmm. May, because they might trip into a family that moves from mm-hmm. Elk Grove to El Dorado Hills.

Right. Or, [00:29:00] or vice versa. 

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And think, boy, is there anything like this for my kids here? Mm-hmm. Or the kids might be looking for something that's similar, so Right. I think that would be wonderful if we even just made one connection. Mm-hmm. To say that they heard it and it made a difference for that one family or that one child in their high school for Right.

The benefit of what they provide. 

Jodi Mottashed: Yeah. Always. And always just, we can all learn from each other and we can all, you know, help each other grow and not reinvent wheels and, right. There's all, there's so, there's so much benefit to all of us, kind of just where are you at and what are you doing? And these families move a lot.

Some of them move a lot. So true. They cross the line because they're 

Jeff Holden: looking for that proper housing that's affordable. And things change. And jobs change and 

Jodi Mottashed: Right. So if I know of someone leaving and I can refer to someone else or vice versa, that's amazing. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Didn't even think about that.

Mm-hmm. It's a referral system we got. Mm-hmm. We've got this family coming this. Student is, or these kids, multiple kids. Usually there's more than one. Yes. Mm-hmm. Oh, that would be fabulous. Mm-hmm. So everybody that's listening, remember this, please. Yes, [00:30:00] please. Uhhuh. I think what you're doing is fabulous that you started it.

As a purpose on your own seven years ago now. Mm-hmm. Is a big deal. And you are now to the point of hiring. Yes. Which is great. And that budget keeps growing. Mm-hmm. And you're looking at the ways to make this small business continue to thrive and serve the community the way that it needs to be served.

And again, we talk about that identity of kids, especially in high school, clothing is everything. Mm-hmm. It's how you look. That's the first thing. If it's disadvantaged mm-hmm. You get judged harshly. 

Jodi Mottashed: Absolutely. Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And it's, and we know it's unfair, but it's reality. It's just what can we do to fix that?

Jodi Mottashed: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: So what you're doing is fixing that and thank you. 

Jodi Mottashed: Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: We appreciate it. Thanks for telling us the story today. 

Jodi Mottashed: Absolutely. I appreciate having me.

Jeff Holden: Thank you for listening to the Nonprofit Podcast [00:31:00] Network. I hope you enjoyed the episode. If what you heard moved you, please reach out to that organization and do what you can to help. If you like and appreciate what we're doing to support local nonprofits, please give us a positive review. Subscribe and share.

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