A Touch Of Understanding

05/29/2026

A Gentle Reminder… Your Vote Can Help Change Lives
As A Touch of Understanding celebrates 30 years of creating more inclusive schools and communities, we would be honored to have your vote in STYLE Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2026.
Every vote is more than recognition for our organization — it’s a vote for kindness, empathy, understanding, and inclusion. It’s a vote that helps shine a light on the importance of teaching students to see beyond differences and build meaningful connections with others.
For three decades, ATOU has worked to create ripple effects of compassion that continue far beyond the classroom walls. With your support, we can continue reaching thousands more students, families, and communities throughout our region.
✨ If ATOU has touched your heart, inspired your family, impacted your school, or made a difference in our community, we would truly appreciate your vote. https://email.cloud2.secureclick.net/c/3423?id=1198818.4525.1.ea25376a6491acbc1b517ac66acd629f
Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us continue this journey together.

05/28/2026

Volunteer Spotlight: Olivia Schweitzer ✨
At A Touch of Understanding, some of the most powerful lessons come from the lived experiences shared by our incredible volunteers — and Olivia Schweitzer is one of those truly special voices making a difference in the lives of students every single week.
Olivia may be one of our newer volunteer speakers, but her impact has already been tremendous.
Before joining ATOU, Olivia spent several years working with disability advocacy groups and discovered how rewarding it is to support and connect with individuals with disabilities. When she learned about A Touch of Understanding, she completed our online application, attended one workshop…and immediately knew she had found something special.
“She was hooked.”
What makes Olivia’s story even more meaningful is that she speaks not only from compassion — but from personal experience. Olivia herself has a disability, and through her honesty, humor, warmth, and openness, she helps students better understand what it means to live with challenges while also embracing life fully.
Students are naturally curious and often ask thoughtful questions:
“Is it hard having a disability?”
“How do you handle everyday things?”
“What’s the best part of having a disability?”
Olivia’s answer is one that leaves a lasting impression:
“It allows me to have a deeper connection with people.”
That simple but powerful perspective helps students see disability through a completely different lens — one rooted in empathy, understanding, connection, and humanity.
Olivia says one of the things she loves most about ATOU is how welcomed she felt by the team right from the start. Her energy is contagious, her enthusiasm shines in every workshop, and her passion for helping children learn kindness and acceptance is impossible to miss.
When she’s not volunteering, Olivia enjoys going to movies, spending time with family and friends, riding bikes, and running with her dad using adaptive equipment.
Volunteers like Olivia remind us why ATOU’s mission matters so deeply. Through every story shared and every conversation sparked, lives are being changed — one classroom at a time.
Thank you, Olivia, for helping students discover that differences don’t divide us…they connect us.

05/27/2026

There’s something special about the ATOU family coming together outside of our workshops.
Last week, several of our amazing volunteers gathered at BJ’s Restaurant for a relaxing afternoon filled with laughter, great food, meaningful conversations, and the joy of reconnecting after another impactful school year.
From sharing stories and catching up to simply enjoying each other’s company, it was the perfect reminder that the heart of A Touch of Understanding is the people who make our mission possible every single day.
A huge thank you to Amanda, Jessica, Joan & Bill, Shanna, Courtney, Bill and his helper, Anna Hoban, John Adams, Jana, Pat Moore, Olivia & her mom Laura for joining us and helping make the afternoon so special. ✨
As we wrap up another incredible school year, we are deeply grateful for the compassion, dedication, and kindness our volunteers bring to thousands of students throughout our community. Together, you help create understanding, spark empathy, and change lives.
Here’s to friendship, teamwork, and celebrating the incredible people behind the mission.

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country.
Memorial Day is more than a long weekend—it is a time to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and selflessness of those who gave their lives so we could enjoy the freedoms we hold dear.
At A Touch of Understanding, we are grateful for the heroes and families whose sacrifices continue to inspire compassion, unity, and service to others.
As we gather with family and friends today, may we also take a moment to remember and honor those who never made it home.
Wishing everyone a meaningful and reflective Memorial Day.

05/24/2026

A Touch of Understanding is excited to be part of Orangevale Summer Palooza 2026!
For 63 years, this beloved community tradition has brought families, friends, and neighbors together—and we’re honored to join in the fun once again!
*May 29–31, 2026
*Orangevale Community Park
As we celebrate ATOU’s 30th Anniversary, we’re looking forward to connecting with the community, sharing our mission of empathy, inclusion, and understanding, and meeting amazing people throughout the weekend.
Stop by our booth to:
💙 Learn more about ATOU’s life-changing disability-awareness workshops
💙 Discover ways to volunteer and get involved
💙 Connect with our team and help spread kindness and inclusion in our community
And of course… enjoy all the incredible Summer Palooza fun:
*Carnival rides
* Live music
*Great food
*Family-friendly activities and community spirit
Events like this remind us how powerful community connection can be. We hope to see you there!

05/23/2026

Join Us at the 2nd Annual CDLA Day of Action!
Next Tuesday, May 26, A Touch of Understanding is proud to stand alongside advocates, community leaders, and organizations from across California for the 2nd Annual California Disability Leadership Alliance (CDLA) Day of Action at the California State Capitol.
For 30 years, ATOU has believed that understanding leads to inclusion — and events like this remind us how powerful it is when voices come together to create change.
This inspiring day is all about:
- Celebrating disability pride and advocacy
- Promoting accessibility, equity, and inclusion
- Connecting communities with valuable resources
- Amplifying voices that deserve to be heard
- Building a future where everyone feels seen, valued, and respected
If you’re passionate about making a difference, we invite you to stop by, connect, and be part of this meaningful movement.
📍 California State Capitol – West Steps
1315 10th St., Sacramento
📅 Tuesday, May 26
🕙 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Together, we continue creating communities built on empathy, respect, and opportunity for all.

05/22/2026

Some partnerships do more than support a community… they help shape the hearts of future generations.
Today, the Rotary Club of Roseville had the honor of welcoming Meghan Adamski, Executive Director of A Touch of Understanding (ATOU), as our featured speaker alongside Farah Friend, Principal of Cirby Elementary School.
Their connection represents something truly special.
For years, Cirby Elementary has been more than just a school to both ATOU and Roseville Rotary — it has been a place where compassion, mentorship, inclusion, and understanding come to life for students every single day.
Through Rotary’s “Book Buddies” program, members of our club have had the privilege of building meaningful relationships with 3rd grade students at Cirby Elementary — reading together, encouraging confidence, and reminding children that they are seen, valued, and supported.
At the same time, A Touch of Understanding has helped students at Cirby Elementary and schools throughout our region learn empathy, kindness, respect, and inclusion through powerful disability-awareness workshops that leave lifelong impressions.
When schools, nonprofits, and community organizations come together with a shared purpose, incredible things happen.
Lives are changed.
Hearts are opened.
Communities grow stronger.
As ATOU celebrates 30 years of impact, this partnership is a beautiful reminder that creating a more compassionate world begins with investing in our children.
Thank you to Meghan Adamski, Farah Friend, Cirby Elementary School, and the Roseville Rotary Club for continuing to make a difference — one student, one classroom, and one act of kindness at a time.

05/21/2026

HONORED. HUMBLED. INSPIRED.
Today was a truly special moment for all of us at A Touch of Understanding.
We were incredibly honored to receive the 2026 Nonprofit of the Year Award for California Assembly District 5 from Assemblyman Joe Patterson during a special recognition ceremony celebrating organizations making a difference in their communities across California.
As ATOU celebrates our 30th Anniversary, this recognition feels especially meaningful.
For three decades, our mission has been to help students and communities better understand one another through empathy, inclusion, kindness, and disability awareness education. Every workshop, every volunteer story, every student connection, and every ripple effect has helped shape the journey that led to this moment.
This award belongs to so many people:
- Our incredible volunteers and speakers
- The schools and educators who welcome us into their classrooms
- Our donors, sponsors, and community partners
- The students whose lives continue to inspire us
- Every person who believes in creating a more inclusive and compassionate world
We are deeply grateful to Assemblyman Patterson, his team and California Association of Nonprofits for recognizing the importance of building understanding and acceptance in our communities.
Being selected as one of approximately 100 nonprofits recognized statewide reminds us that the work we do together truly matters.
Thank you for being part of the ATOU family and for helping us continue changing lives — one classroom, one conversation, and one heart at a time.

05/19/2026

30 Years Later… the Ripple Effect Continues
As we begin wrapping up another incredible school year, we’re reminded that the true impact of A Touch of Understanding isn’t measured only in workshops delivered or students reached… it’s reflected in the hearts and words of the children we serve.
These two student letters beautifully capture what ATOU has been about for the past 30 years:
✨ Learning to “walk in someone else’s shoes”
✨ Choosing kindness over judgment
✨ Understanding that differences do not define a person
✨ Creating friendships, empathy, inclusion, and respect
One student wrote:
“If you judge someone by how they look or how they act, you may miss out on opportunities to make friends.”
Another shared:
“People with disabilities are no different than we are… They are people like me and you.”
That is the mission of ATOU in action.
Since 1996, our workshops have helped spark conversations that change perspectives and inspire compassion in classrooms across our communities. As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, letters like these remind us why this work matters now more than ever.
Because when a child learns empathy…
when understanding replaces fear or discomfort…
and when inclusion becomes second nature…
Lives change. Communities change. The future changes.
Thank you to every student, teacher, volunteer, donor, and supporter who has helped make this ripple effect possible for three decades. 💙

05/15/2026

Voting Starts TODAY!
The STYLE Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards 2026 are officially underway — and we would be incredibly honored to have your vote for A Touch of Understanding!
As we celebrate 30 years of creating more inclusive schools and communities through empathy, kindness, and disability awareness, your support means more than ever.
For the past five years, YOU helped us earn a spot as one of the Top Three Nonprofits in our region. Let’s keep the ripple effect going and make it six years strong! 🌟
Voting runs May 15 – July 15
Every vote helps shine a light on the importance of understanding, acceptance, and inclusion.
Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us continue changing lives — one student, one classroom, and one community at a time. Cast your vote at STYLERCA.com

The 22nd Annual Style Magazine Readers' Choice Awards Voting! It's your chance to vote on who you think is the best in the best in the local region: From Placerville, Cameron Park and Shingle Springs to Folsom, El Dorado Hills and Gold River and ...