Hearts over Hands
OUR MISSION
With the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020, many families faced unfamiliar and difficult circumstances. As schools, after-school programs, tutoring centers, and babysitting services became vastly restricted, many parents had to single-handedly take on their children's care and educational needs while also minimizing contact with the outside world. We recognized the strain this placed on families across the United States. In particular, we wanted to support parents on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic (doctors, medics, grocery store workers, etc.), single parents, families that were dealing with illness, and more.
We created Hearts over Hands in hopes of alleviating some of the pressure that so many parents were under.
The aim was simple: To pair currently-enrolled university students with children from families who are adversely impacted by COVID-19, in order to form lasting, stable child-mentor relationships.
Our volunteers (also called "Big Sibs") met with their Little Sibs weekly via virtual video sessions. Video sessions were intended to break the sense of social isolation that children were experiencing, provide homework help, tutoring, and general mentorship and guidance.
Our Impact
The Hearts over Hands community participated in virtual sessions such as dance and yoga, creative writing, baking, video games, arts & crafts, and science experiments.
From April 2020 to August 2023, Hearts over Hands gathered a community of 300+ Big Sibs and 500+ Little Sibs. Our Big Sibs came from more than 30 universities, and our Little Sibs are spread across the United States, and later, even internationally.
Through virtual summer workshops, afterschool sessions, and one-on-one mentorships, our Big and Little Sibs have fostered long-lasting relationships with each other. The Hearts over Hands community participated in virtual sessions such as dance and yoga, creative writing, baking, video games, arts & crafts, and science experiments. Even after our official operations paused in August 2023, many Big and Little Sibs have continued to stay in contact, a tribute to the strong bonds formed.
How it Worked
Big Sibs (college student mentors) and Lil Sibs (any student aged 6-16) were matched through our "Connection" process.
Our Big Sibs went through a lengthy interview and were personally vetted by members of our Executive Board to ensure that our Lil Sibs were matched with Big Sibs that care deeply about their growth and success, academically and non-academically!