Lori’s Hands builds mutually beneficial partnerships between community members with chronic illness and college students, fostering empathy, connection, and resilience. Students provide practical assistance to support community members’ independence at home, and community members share their health and life experiences to support students’ learning.
Our Vision
Lori’s Hands envisions a more equitable world in which every person can age with dignity and interconnection in their community and in which every person’s strengths are appreciated and shared.
Our Mission
Lori’s Hands builds mutually beneficial partnerships between community members with chronic illness and college students, fostering empathy, connection, and resilience. Students provide practical assistance to support community members’ independence at home, and community members share their health and life experiences to support students’ learning.
Our Vision
Lori’s Hands envisions a more equitable world in which every person can age with dignity and interconnection in their community and in which every person’s strengths are appreciated and shared.
Our History
Lori’s Hands was founded in Newark, DE in 2009 in memory of Lori LaFave. Lori’s Hands has since connected thousands of community members and college students in meaningful service learning.
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Our Leadership
Lori’s Hands is led by a team of staff and community members with a broad range of experiences and backgrounds.
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What We Do
Lori’s Hands creates intergenerational partnerships between college students and community members with chronic illness.
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Our Core Values
We develop partnerships with an emphasis on reciprocity. Our students and clients learn from and support each other. Everyone contributes.
We know that health disparities are not inevitable and we believe equity is achievable. We believe all people can and should age with dignity and independence regardless of their zip code, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or disability and health conditions. We work to address unjust structures and gaps in the system to make that future a reality.
Evidence shapes our efforts. We use research, best practices, and guidance from our partners to develop programs that work.
We recognize intergenerational relationships as essential to our program and to the community’s health and wellbeing. Similarly, we recognize that the health and wellbeing of universities and their communities are inextricably linked.
Building on individuals’ and the community’s resilience, we use a strengths-based approach. We recognize that most people don’t want a hand-out, but want to be supported in their independence.
We provide dependable services. Week-to-week and year-to-year, the community can rely on us to provide consistent support.
We uphold a neighborly culture. We know that routine social and practical support is often more valuable than grand gestures.
Where We Work
Newark, DE
Our founding location, Lori’s Hands has been operational here since 2009. Students from Delaware colleges connect with community members throughout Newark.
Baltimore, MD
Lori’s Hands Baltimore was launched in 2020. We enroll students and community members from across the city.
Metro Detroit, MI
Our newest chapter, Lori’s Hands’ Michigan launched in early 2022. We connect students and clients throughout the Metro Detroit region.
