Dr. Angela Herman, Health Sciences chair, is collaborating with Lori’s Hands, a community-service learning program, to coordinate internships for students enrolled in Wilmington University’s College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences.
Based in Newark, Delaware, Lori’s Hands builds mutually beneficial partnerships between people in the community with chronic illness and college students, designed to foster empathy, connection, and resilience. Student volunteers, who work in pairs, provide practical assistance to support community members’ independence at home, helping with such tasks as preparing meals, light housework, and grocery shopping.
The students benefit, too. Community members share their health and life experiences to support students’ learning. They form relationships through activities like taking walks and sharing hobbies.
“Our Health Sciences students at WilmU are seeking internships that provide them with opportunities to interact face to face with people in the community. Lori’s Hands is a unique and valuable experience for students,” Dr. Herman says. “Not only does Lori’s Hands help students to develop relevant professional skills and insights, the companionship and ongoing connections to empathetic health care students is of tremendous value to Lori’s Hands clients.”