A Touch Of Understanding

09/03/2026

Sometimes the best way to understand the impact of an ATOU workshop is simply to listen to the students.

After participating in an A Touch of Understanding workshop, students are asked to reflect on what they experienced and learned.
One question asks:
“Will it be easier now to be friends with someone with a disability?”
Their answers say so much:
- “Yes. It will be easier because I will now know and understand how they feel and I could be a good friend and help them.”
- “Yes. We are all the same, even if others learn or act differently. Everyone is equal.”

We also asked:
“What is the most important thing you learned from A Touch of Understanding?”
- “To be patient and understanding and that they are no different.”
- “Don’t judge people by what they can do before getting to know them.”
- “I think you have to be in another person’s perspective or shoes to understand them.”

These aren't just answers on a student survey. They are glimpses of something changing.
We don't expect students to leave an ATOU workshop knowing everything about disability. We hope they leave seeing people a little differently-with greater understanding, less judgment, and a willingness to make a new friend.

That is where inclusion begins.

09/02/2026

Chalk, Creativity & Community!

A Touch of Understanding is excited to be part of the Chalk It Up! Chalk Art & Music Festival this Saturday at Fremont Park in Midtown Sacramento!

For more than 30 years, Chalk It Up! has brought our community together to celebrate local artists, musicians and creativity—and we love being part of an event where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together.

At ATOU, we believe some of the most beautiful things happen when we take the time to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Through our disability-awareness workshops, students discover that understanding differences can lead to empathy, respect, friendship and inclusion.

If you’re enjoying the festival on Saturday, stop by the ATOU booth and say hello! We’d love to meet you, share more about our mission and celebrate this colorful community event together.

* Fremont Park — 16th & Q Streets, Midtown Sacramento (10 am- 6pm)
* Free & family-friendly
Come for the incredible chalk art, music and fun-and be sure to look for ATOU!

09/01/2026

What does 30 years of changing hearts and minds look like?

Sometimes, the best way to understand the impact of A Touch of Understanding is simply to see it in action.
Last November, KCRA 3 joined us at Pershing Elementary School to experience an ATOU workshop firsthand. Their cameras captured students navigating hands-on activities, asking questions, learning from people with lived experiences of disability-and beginning to see the world from a different perspective.
They also spoke with ATOU Executive Director Meghan Adamski and Principal Kendra Shelton about something we have witnessed for three decades: when children are given the opportunity to understand differences, empathy and inclusion can follow.

ATOU was honored to be selected as part of KCRA 3's 70th Anniversary celebration highlighting nonprofit organizations making a difference throughout Northern California.

Now, as A Touch of Understanding celebrates our own 30th Anniversary, we thought this was the perfect time to share this special story again.
Because behind every workshop are students learning that differences don't have to divide us.
They can help us understand one another.

* Take a few minutes to watch ATOU's mission come to life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKXQbkGG1H0&t=11s

30 years. Thousands of workshops. Generations of students. One continuing mission: changing hearts, changing minds, and building more inclusive communities.

Thank you to KCRA 3 for featuring ATOU at Pershing Elementary. To s...

08/31/2026

AI for Good — Helping ATOU Work Smarter to Reach More Students!

We’re excited to share that A Touch of Understanding was selected as one of just six nonprofits to participate in Sacramento Venture Philanthropy’s (SVP) AI for Good Hackathon!

It was an intense and exciting process as a team of talented builders worked alongside our own Pam Evers to develop an app designed specifically to make ATOU’s workshop logistics and scheduling process easier and more efficient.
Anyone who sees our workshops in action may not realize just how much coordination happens behind the scenes to get our team, volunteers, equipment and resources where they need to be. Pam plays an important role in making all those moving pieces come together.

This new tool has the potential to give valuable time back to Pam and our team — time that can instead be invested in growing ATOU’s capacity, supporting our workshops and reaching even more students.

And that’s what makes this technology so exciting to us.
It’s not simply about saving time. It’s about creating more time for our mission.
More efficiency. More capacity. More students reached. More lives changed.

A heartfelt thank you to SVP and the incredible team of builders for selecting ATOU and investing their time and talents in our work. We’re excited to see where this takes us!

08/28/2026

When Friendship, Service & Purpose Come Together

What a wonderful Rotary meeting today!
I had the special pleasure of introducing Freddie Silveria of FSA Auctions -a valued partner of A Touch of Understanding, an incredible supporter of nonprofits and, most importantly to me, a good friend.

I've had the privilege of working with Freddie for several years as our auctioneer for ATOU's Evening of Insight, and he never disappoints! Today was no exception. Freddie was engaging, entertaining and very well received by our Roseville Rotary Club-and he even put his auctioneer skills to work, helping us auction off a couple of items remaining from our recent Golf Tournament!

Freddie shared stories about his connection with ATOU and the many nonprofits, schools and charitable organizations he has supported throughout his career. Through FSA Auctions, he has now helped raise an incredible $175 MILLION for organizations making a difference in their communities.
But fundraising is only part of Freddie's story.

As a fellow Rotarian with the Passport One Rotary Club, Freddie shares a deep commitment to service. He also spoke about Breaking Down the Walls, a program he created and that works with middle and high school students and carries a message that resonates deeply with the mission of ATOU:
“It’s hard to hate someone whose story you know.”

Those words are such a powerful reminder that when we take the time to listen to one another, understand someone else's experiences and look beyond our differences, perspectives can change.

I'm grateful that ATOU brought Freddie into my life years ago -first as a partner in our mission and, along the way, as a wonderful friend.
Thank you, Freddie, for sharing your stories, your talents and your heart with our
Rotary Club today.

You were a hit!

08/27/2026

August Prepared Us. September, Here We Come.
Some months are about milestones. Others are about getting ready for what comes next.

For A Touch of Understanding, August has been a little of both.
We gathered to celebrate the incredible volunteers who give so much of themselves to our mission. We came together again for training-welcoming familiar faces and new ones as we prepared for another school year.

We shared the story of Marlena, whose years of service remind us that ATOU has always been built by people with big hearts and a belief in the power of understanding.
We introduced you to Mia, who first experienced ATOU as an elementary school student and has now returned years later as an intern-ready to help bring that same experience to another generation.

And most importantly…we're back in the classrooms.
That may be our favorite part of all.
Because everything we do ultimately leads to those moments when a student begins to see someone differently…when curiosity replaces uncertainty, understanding replaces assumptions, and inclusion becomes something they can help create.

So, as August comes to a close, we aren't simply turning the calendar to September.
We're beginning another chapter.

More schools. More students. More stories. More opportunities to change hearts and minds—one experience at a time.
September, we're ready for you.

08/27/2026

Community Connections Matter

This morning, A Touch of Understanding had the opportunity to connect with local business and community leaders at the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast held at Randy Peters Catering & Event Center.

For us, being part of the community is about more than attending an event. It’s about ...building relationships, sharing our mission, and creating connections that can open new doors for the people and communities we serve.

Every conversation is an opportunity to help more people learn about ATOU and our work to build greater empathy, understanding, respect and inclusion.

We’re grateful to be part of a community where businesses, nonprofits and community leaders come together to connect, collaborate and make a difference.

08/25/2026

ATOU Storybook – Celebrating the People Behind the Mission

Marlena: A Heart for Understanding

Every nonprofit is built on the dedication of people who believe deeply in its mission.
For A Touch of Understanding, Marlena is one of those people.
After volunteering with several organizations serving individuals with disabilities, Marlena found ATOU and knew she had discovered a place where she could make a lasting difference. Today, she serves as a workshop volunteer, Fundraiser Committee member, and Board Director.

One experience continues to inspire her. Following an ATOU workshop, a school librarian shared that the participating students were the most respectful, attentive, and engaged students she had seen all school year. That observation speaks to the transformative power of empathy-based education.

When asked why she continues to volunteer, Marlena's answer was simple:
"Every workshop leaves me with a full heart."
Her story reminds us that lasting community impact begins with people who are willing to invest their time, compassion, and leadership in the next generation.

Thank you, Marlena, for helping ATOU build empathy, inclusion, and understanding-one workshop at a time.

One Workshop...One Story...One More Life Touched!

08/21/2026

WE DID IT -THANKS TO YOU!
We are excited to share that A Touch of Understanding has earned the 2026 GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofit badge!
And the best part? This recognition was made possible by you -the people who know, support and believe in our mission.

To everyone who took the time to share your experience with ATOU, thank you. Your words mean far more than simply helping us earn a badge. Every story helps others understand why our work matters and how teaching empathy, inclusion, understanding and respect can change perspectives and strengthen our communities.

As we celebrate 30 years of A Touch of Understanding, this recognition feels especially meaningful because it reflects the voices of people who have experienced and witnessed our mission firsthand.

Thank you for sharing our story by sharing yours.
We are so grateful to have you as part of the ATOU community!

08/21/2026

Community Connections Matter
Today, A Touch of Understanding was proud to be represented at the 2026 State of the City Address, hosted by the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce at the Placer Valley Soccer Complex.

It was a wonderful opportunity to hear Roseville Mayor Krista Bernasconi share about the continued growth and future of the City of Roseville—and to see so many community, business and civic leaders gathered together in one place.
For ATOU, events like this are about more than attending. They are about connecting.

Some of the relationships and opportunities that have helped increase awareness of ATOU's mission have begun with a simple introduction or conversation at community events just like this one. Every new connection is another opportunity to share who we are, what we do, and why teaching empathy, inclusion and respect matters.

A special thank you to the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce for creating opportunities that bring our community together and help local organizations build meaningful relationships.
We are grateful to be part of a region where businesses, nonprofits, civic leaders and community members continue to connect, collaborate and support one another.
Because sometimes growing a mission starts with simply showing up.