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Our Mission
With the spread of the novel coronavirus, many families are facing a unfamiliar and difficult circumstances. As schools, after-school programs, tutoring centers, and babysitting services become vastly restricted, parents must single-handedly take on their children's care and educational needs while also minimizing contact with the outside world. We recognize the strain this places on families, especially on those with parents on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic (doctors, medics, grocery store workers, etc.), parents dealing with illness, and single parents.
We created Hearts over Hands in hopes of alleviating some of the pressure that these parents are under.
The aim is simple: To pair currently-enrolled university students with children from families who are adversely impacted, in order to form lasting, stable child-mentor relationships.
Our volunteers (also called "Big Sibs") meet with their Little Sibs weekly via virtual video sessions. Video sessions are intended to break the sense of social isolation that children may be experiencing, provide homework help, tutoring, and general mentorship and guidance.
Since April 2020, Hearts over Hands has gathered a community of over 280 university-student volunteers and 500 children.
Through virtual summer workshops, afterschool sessions, and one-on-one mentorships, our Big and Little Sibs have fostered long-lasting relationships with eachother.
The Hearts over Hands community participates in virtual sessions such as dance and yoga, creative writing, baking, video games, arts & crafts, and science experiments. Our Big Sibs come from more than 30 universities, and our Little Sibs are spread across the United States and internationally.
Our team's vision is to see that all Hearts over Hands children feel emotionally and academically supported in an inclusive community despite the hardships brought from the COVID-19 pandemic.