Hands That Make A Difference: Supporting At-Risk Youth and Families in Harlem
In the heart of Harlem, where challenges abound but hope persists, one woman has dedicated her life to uplifting the youth of her community. Lisa Fields-Linnen, founder of Hands That Make A Difference, embodies the spirit of resilience and compassion. Through her organization, she provides critical services to at-risk youths and their families, giving them the tools they need to thrive. We are pleased to support the vital work of Hands That Make A Difference on behalf of youth in the community through our small grant program. In this interview, we delve into Lisa’s journey, the impactful programs she runs, and her vision for the future of her organization and the Harlem community. Join us as we explore how Hands That Make A Difference is truly changing lives, one youth at a time:
Kars4Kids: Tell us something about yourself, if you would. Who is Lisa Fields-Linnen? What drove you to start an organization for youth?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: I am a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and a particularly good friend to many. I was born and raised in Harlem, by my late grandmother. As a young person growing up in Harlem it was not easy, but I found the love of basketball as my escape away from all the negative things. The way I kept my children safe they had to find a sport. All my children chose basketball. Every Saturday I would take them to my old elementary school to play on this family run basketball program to keep inner-city youth out of trouble. I volunteered there for 14 years and this is how it all began. All the children will come to my house, I would take them out on educational and recreational trips, mentor them and that grew for years. I obtained my first job working with hard-to-place youth in a transitional center and never looked back. I have been working with children since 1988, this is what drove me to start my own organization. I wanted to have an impact on the lives of the youth, who are at risk of falling between the cracks.
Kars4Kids: Hands That Make A Difference is in Harlem. Can you tell us something about the community? What is it like to grow up in Harlem?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: Our community if you do not have a good support system can be rough. It is said if you can make it in Harlem, you can make it anywhere. We do have some great things that do go on in our community, such as the famous Apollo, where stars were born, Harlem Week, where all the vendors come out and we gather eating delicious food, listening to music by celebrities, and activities for the kids as well as giveaways from vendors. You need to have parents and guardians consistently engaged in their child’s lives. If that is not happening, you can easily be drawn to the streets.
Kars4Kids: You serve several different sectors in different ways. Can you tell us a bit about your youth services? Who are the youth that you serve?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: We have a young adult teen program, where we provide mentoring services, resume writing, internship, job training and placement. Another youth service that we offer is for teen parents under the age of twenty-one. As a teen parent we provide resources to help you with your newborn life, and help you seek housing, childcare and employment services. We also have an afterschool program where we provide a mentoring program, homework help, arts & crafts, and music components as well. Our summer camp is our biggest youth service currently, because they get to go on trips and have fun outdoors for the full day. The youth that we serve are at-risk youth that come from low-income single
parent households.
Kars4Kids: How do you strike a balance between education and fun? For example, STEM activities as opposed to Arts and Crafts; do you offer mainly fun stuff to keep kids engaged for the sake of the educational stuff? Half half? Or do you just play it by ear?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: We have a weekly schedule and homework is a priority; we set aside an hour each day to do their homework, no exceptions. Homework must be done and accurate before moving throughout the weekly schedule. If a student comes to the program and does not have any homework, we let the parents know so they can follow up with the school, but during that hour they will read and be given assignments based on their grade levels.
Kars4Kids: Can you tell us about a typical day at Hands That Make A Difference? Do the kids come in straight from school? What happens next and for the rest of the day?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: A typical day at HTMAD starts with staff going to the neighboring school and
escorting the students back to the program. We do a check-in of every student to see how their day was in school, and this gives an idea of how they will be at the afterschool. This also helps us identify any issues that may need to be discussed and shared with the parents. We also do a check-in of the staff as well. After this we see if any students must go to the restroom, if so, we escort them to the restroom. The staff then checks each student assigned to them book bags to see whether they have homework or not. Some students come with a packet outlining their homework for the week and they begin their homework. After homework we see if anyone needs to use the restroom again and if so, we escort them. We move on to the wellness component, where a student is assigned the instructor and they do various exercises, before moving onto the activities. After each student completes the exercise, they go back to their assigned tables, hands sanitized awaiting their snack. A student will be assigned to the staff helper in giving out healthy snacks to each student. At 4:30 pm is when the different activities are conducted based on the day of the week. Around 5:45 pm we start to clean up and get ready for dismissal. This is a typical day at HTMAD.
Kars4Kids: You have specialized services for homeless youth. How do you help them? What are their needs?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: The programs that we offer for the homeless youth range from finding them a shelter, providing them with hygiene supplies, enrolling them in HRA resources, referring them for mental health services if needed.
Kars4Kids: What do young adults need, and what services and programs do you offer them? What is the Anti-Violence Prevention Initiative and is there something about their ages that makes them more vulnerable to violence-related issues and behaviors?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: Young adults need a positive role model to be consistent in their lives and supportive of their dreams and desires. They need someone that is nurturing but still holds them accountable. The Anti-Violence Prevention Initiative is a program designed to assist young people in not choosing to join gangs, giving them alternative coping skills if they are approached, as well as working with youth who may already be gang affiliated. The ages vary because I mentioned before about living and growing up in Harlem, gangs are everywhere, and we must catch them in middle school now.
Kars4Kids: Tell us about your Teen Parent program. What challenges confront teen parents? What do they need most? Why do they come to you?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: Our Teen Parent Program provides a network of support to our teen parents and children by referring them to comprehensive services, mental health care, sexual and reproductive health care, childcare. The challenge that confronts the teen parents is lack of support from their parents. They need guidance, support, and encouragement that it is not the end of the world. The reason they come to us is that we are welcoming and not judgmental.
Kars4Kids: How about a word or two about your volunteers? Do they have specific hours? What is their role?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: Our volunteers are very instrumental in our program and have been dedicated to growing our organization. The volunteer role varies, some supervise the Teen Parent Program and Young Adult Program. We have other volunteers who work on communicating with the schools regarding recruitment and networking with other organizations.
Kars4Kids: What’s next for Hands That Make A Difference?
Lisa Fields-Linnen: Hands That Make A Difference is looking to expand our organization in another borough. We would like to offer our services to more youth, families, and the community.