Last year, Archie Williams High School freshman Charlotte Hendrey began regularly volunteering for various assisted living facilities in Marin playing piano and doing art with the residents. She soon realized the positive impact the visits had on residents and how much the assisted living facilities valued her work.
“I saw how much fun these events were for both the residents and the volunteers,” Hendrey said. “I wanted to encourage more people my age to do the same.”
With that, Hearts and Hands was born. The group has four activity leaders and currently serves five facilities in Marin. Dozens of student volunteers — ranging in age from preschool to high school — have signed up to help. To date, the group has hosted nearly 50 events.
Hendrey also provides support for the volunteers, including a step-by-step guide on how to be an effective activity leader, ways to approach a care facility, and even a college recommendation letter template for volunteers who would like to highlight their service in college applications.
“My mission is to grow Hearts and Hands and to continue to teach volunteers how to lead their own activities in their own Hearts and Hands chapters,” Hendrey said. “I hope to bring joy and connection to as many assisted living and memory care facilities as possible.”
For more information, visit hhmarin.org.
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