A Touch Of Understanding

02/24/2026

For over 15 years, A Touch of Understanding has had the privilege of bringing our disability awareness workshops to students at Edna Maguire Elementary School in beautiful Mill Valley.
Each visit reminds us why we do this work.
Recently, longtime teacher Ann Eshoff shared these heartfelt words after our workshop:
“Thank you so much for bringing A Touch of Understanding to our students. They were truly excited to participate in your wonderful program and remained engaged throughout the experience.
Our students learned a great deal and gained meaningful insight into what it might be like to live with a disability. Most importantly, the program helped foster empathy, understanding, and thoughtful conversations that extended beyond the presentation itself. The lessons they took away will stay with them for a long time.
We are very grateful for the important work you do and for the care and thoughtfulness you bring to this program. Thank you for making such a positive impact on our students.”
— Ann Eshoff
This is the ripple effect in action. 💙
Not just a presentation.
Not just a workshop.
But meaningful conversations that continue long after we leave the classroom.
For 30 years, ATOU has been building bridges of understanding—one student, one school, one community at a time.
Thank you, Edna Maguire Elementary, for welcoming us year after year and for being part of this journey toward empathy, inclusion, and respect.

02/19/2026

DRUM ROLL PLEASE… 🥁🥁🥁
As we celebrate 30 YEARS of igniting respect, fostering inclusion, and building empathy, we are beyond grateful for the extraordinary businesses and organizations who are standing beside us for our 8th Annual Evening of Insight – April 23, 2026!
This isn’t just another event.
This is a milestone.
This is a movement.
This is 30 years of hearts changed and lives impacted.
And these incredible sponsors are helping us make this anniversary celebration unforgettable.
* Your support is changing lives — one student, one classroom, one community at a time.
A Special Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors:
**Presenting Sponsor:
The Beth Frkovich Foundation
*Major Sponsors:
Measured Financial
Cardno-Silver Trust
Capitol Planning Group
Style Magazine
Comstock Magazine
PRIDE Industries
*Main Sponsors:
Placer County, River Valley Community Bank, Bogle Family Vineyards, SMUD, Roseville Automall Association, Bouchard Communications Group, Mission Sistahs Inc., The Larkin Company, Green Valley Hospice, Bayer and All Cal Insurance.
Because of YOU, we continue the ripple effect that began in 1996.
Because of YOU, we are stepping boldly into our next 30 years.
* Want to align your brand with impact and inclusion?
There’s still time to become a sponsor and be part of this powerful anniversary celebration.
📩 Contact Roxanne at roxanne@touchofunderstanding.org
🎟 Secure your seats: https://tinyurl.com/eveningofinsight2026
Let’s make history together.

02/18/2026

*Building Bridges. Breaking Barriers*
A Touch of Understanding is proud to be part of Building Bridges: Breaking Barriers — CalTASH 2026!
We’re excited to host an informational booth at this powerful gathering of educators, advocates, families, and community partners who are committed to promoting inclusive, self-determined lives for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan.
📍 Embassy Suites by Hilton – Sacramento, CA
📅 February 27–28, 2026
This inspiring two-day conference will feature keynote speakers, a Town Hall conversation, and breakout sessions focused on:
✨ Inclusive education
✨ Early intervention
✨ Supported living & employment
✨ Disability studies
✨ Civil rights and advocacy
As ATOU celebrates our 30th Anniversary in 2026, we are honored to continue the work we began in 1996—building empathy, igniting respect, and creating more inclusive communities, one student and one conversation at a time.
If you're attending CalTASH, be sure to stop by our booth! We’d love to connect, share our impact, and explore how we can continue building bridges together.

02/18/2026

The Countdown Is ON… And This Year Is EXTRA Special!
We are officially NINE WEEKS away from the most meaningful night of the year —
✨ A Touch of Understanding’s 8th Annual Evening of Insight
💙 Celebrating our 30th Anniversary of impact!
📅 April 23, 2026
📍 Timber Creek Ballroom | Roseville
For 30 years, ATOU has been igniting respect, fostering inclusion, and building empathy in classrooms across Northern California. And on April 23rd, we gather to celebrate three decades of breaking barriers and changing hearts.
This isn’t just an event.
It’s an experience.
It’s perspective-shifting.
It’s heart-opening.
🎟 Tickets are going quickly — and this event WILL sell out.
If you haven’t secured your seat yet, now is the time.
🔗 Grab your tickets today: https://tinyurl.com/eveningofinsight2026
Let’s honor 30 years of impact… and fuel the next 30 together.
✨ Who’s joining us for this unforgettable 30th Anniversary celebration?

02/17/2026

💙 Thank You, 100 Women Who Care Placer! 💙

We are beyond honored and deeply grateful to 100+Women Who Care Placer County for selecting A Touch Of Understanding as your 1st Quarter 2026 nonprofit recipient!

Last Thursday, February 12th, our Executive Director, Meghan Adamski, had the privilege of sharing ATOU’s story in just five minutes—alongside two other incredible Placer County nonprofits.

To then be chosen by your members is truly humbling.

Your collective model of generosity—members donating $100 each quarter, coming together four times a year, and empowering women to make an immediate and meaningful impact—is nothing short of extraordinary. To date, you’ve invested $354,000 into Placer County nonprofits, and we are honored to now be part of that ripple effect.

Because of you, we can continue bringing our life-changing disability awareness workshops to students across our region—teaching empathy, inclusion, and respect at a time when it matters most.

Thank you to your leadership team, selection committee, and every member who raised her hand in support of ATOU. Your generosity fuels our mission and strengthens the compassionate communities we are working so hard to build.

Together, we are changing lives!
#100+Women Who Care Placer County

02/16/2026

Mark Your Calendar — Pizza with a Purpose is Almost Here! 🍕
Next week, you have three delicious ways to support A Touch of Understanding while enjoying a meal at Old Town Pizza!
📅 February 25
💙 15% of proceeds go back to ATOU — just be sure to mention “ATOU” when you order!
✨ Volunteer Gathering (Roseville location only)
📍 Old Town Pizza - 120 Church St
⏰ 11:30 AM
📩 RSVP by February 11
🍕 All-Day Fundraiser Locations
📍 Old Town Pizza Auburn – all day
📍 Old Town Pizza Lincoln – all day
Whether you join us for lunch in Roseville or grab pizza later in Auburn or Lincoln, your meal helps fuel our mission. Eat pizza. Make an impact!

02/12/2026

Get Ready for an Unforgettable Night with Freddie Silveria!
We are beyond excited to welcome back the one and only **Freddie Silveria of FSA Auctions as our Emcee and Auctioneer for A Touch of Understanding’s 30th Anniversary & 8th Annual Evening of Insight!
📅 April 23, 2026
📍 Timber Creek Ballroom | Roseville
This milestone celebration deserves nothing less than the best—and Freddie brings it every single time.
✨ Why Freddie is a true fundraising force:
A nationally respected auctioneer who has helped nonprofits, schools, and charities raise over $125 million
A master strategist who knows how to spark generosity and elevate the entire room
A dynamic, high-energy presence who turns great events into unforgettable ones
This isn’t just an evening of fundraising—it’s a night of impact, inclusion, and inspiration, celebrating 30 years of igniting respect, building empathy, and changing lives through disability awareness.
🎟️ Don’t miss this milestone moment. Secure your tickets today:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/eveningofinsight2026

02/11/2026

*60 seconds. A lifetime of impact*
Our mission at A Touch of Understanding has always been simple—but powerful:
to build empathy, respect, inclusion and changing lives by helping people better understand the lived experiences of others through the lens of disability awareness.
In this short podcast clip, you’ll hear a snapshot of why this work matters—and how one moment of understanding can create a ripple effect far beyond the classroom.
💙 This is the heart of ATOU.
✨ This is why we’ve spent 30 years changing hearts and minds.
And it’s exactly the spirit we’ll be celebrating at our 30th Anniversary Evening of Insight on April 23, 2026—an unforgettable evening of perspective, connection, and impact.
* Take 60 seconds…https://www.youtube.com/shorts/M1wwVaO1W04
* Feel the impact.
* Then join us as we continue this journey together.

Leslie's Journey: From Classroom Challenges to Nonprofit SuccessLeslie, an instructional aide in a second grade classroom during the early 90s, witnessed the...

02/10/2026

Sometimes, the most powerful impact stories are written in pencil. ✏️💙
After our disability awareness workshops, students don’t just leave with new information—they leave with new understanding. And often, they go home so inspired that they write letters like these.
From learning what it’s like to use a wheelchair…
To discovering Braille for the very first time…
To realizing how many different disabilities exist—and how kindness matters most…
These student letters remind us why this work matters.
They show curiosity turning into empathy.
Awareness turning into compassion.
And lessons that don’t stay in the classroom—but ripple outward to families, friends, and communities.
We could explain the impact of our workshops all day—but truly, the students say it best themselves.
Thank you to every school, educator, volunteer, and supporter who helps make moments like these possible. Together, we’re helping raise a generation that leads with understanding.
As we celebrate 30 years of A Touch of Understanding, we’re proud to continue creating moments that spark empathy, inspire kindness, and shape more inclusive communities—one student at a time.

02/10/2026

✨ With Gratitude & Heartfelt Thanks ✨

We are deeply honored and grateful to be a 2026 Grant Recipient of the El Dorado Hills Area Foundation.

Thanks to their generosity, A Touch of Understanding has been awarded a $9,602 grant, supporting our mission to teach empathy, inclusion, and respect through our disability-awareness workshops for students across our region.

Since 2013, EDHAF has reinvested more than $913,000 into local nonprofits—strengthening over 70 organizations and helping build a brighter, more compassionate future for our communities. We are truly honored to be part of this incredible network of change-makers.

To the EDHAF Board, donors, and supporters: thank you for believing in the power of education, understanding, and human connection. Your investment helps us continue changing hearts and minds—one student, one classroom, and one ripple effect at a time.

Together, we are creating impact that lasts.

02/07/2026

🍕 Good Food. Great Company. Meaningful Impact. 🍕
We’re excited to invite our A Touch of Understanding volunteers and friends to a special Volunteer Gathering + Fundraiser at Old Town Pizza - 120 Church St!
Come enjoy delicious pizza, connect with fellow ATOU supporters, and celebrate the impact you help make possible. Even better—15% of all proceeds that day will be donated back to A Touch of Understanding. It’s a feel-good lunch that gives back. All day fundraisers at OTP in Roseville, Auburn and Lincoln locations. Just be sure to mention “ATOU” when you order!
📍 Old Town Pizza – 120 Church St, Roseville
📅 February 25
⏰ 11:30 AM
📩 Please RSVP by February 11 so we can give the restaurant a heads-up.
Bring your appetite, your ATOU spirit, and maybe a friend—this is one gathering you won’t want to miss. Hope to see you there!

02/05/2026

🌟 Spotlighting the Champions Behind Our Mission 🌟
As we count down to A Touch of Understanding’s 8th Annual Evening of Insight on April 23, 2026, we are proud to celebrate our 30th Anniversary—and even prouder to honor the Community Partners who make this impact possible.
Our sponsors are more than supporters.
They are changemakers—investing in education, opportunity, and inclusion, and helping us spark empathy and understanding in classrooms across our region.
Today, we’re honored to spotlight four extraordinary sponsors:
✨ Beth Frkovich Foundation – Presenting Sponsor
A long-standing champion whose unwavering commitment continues to inspire and uplift our mission.
✨ The Cardno-Silvers Trust – Platinum Sponsor
A dedicated partner investing in meaningful, community-driven impact.
✨ Measured Financial – Platinum Sponsor
A values-driven organization helping individuals build and maintain their financial future—while giving back to create a more inclusive world.
✨ PRIDE Industries – Platinum Sponsor
A national leader in creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities—proving that inclusion doesn’t stop with awareness; it leads to opportunity, dignity, and independence.
Together, these partners help us connect the dots between awareness and action—from educating students about disability to supporting meaningful employment and lifelong inclusion.
💖 To our sponsors: thank you for believing in this mission and standing with us as we celebrate 30 years of impact. Your partnership helps transform hearts, open doors, and strengthen communities—one person at a time.
Interested in joining this incredible lineup of sponsors?
Contact Roxanne at roxanne@touchofunderstanding.org to learn how your organization can help create lasting change.