By: Erik Pedersen, Content Strategy Director
BALTIMORE – A partnership with a local community health service learning organization has provided several Notre Dame of Maryland University students with a new volunteer opportunity this academic year.
Eleven NDMU students have spent time volunteering for Lori’s Hands, a nonprofit which focuses on assisting community members living with chronic illnesses. Lori’s Hands seeks to build mutually beneficial partnerships, with students delivering practical assistance to support community members’ independence at home while community members share their health and life experiences to support students’ learning.
“We visit two clients regularly,” said Tam Truong ’25. “A portion of that visit might involve helping with laundry, vacuuming, or changing sheets, but it’s mainly about keeping them company.”
Truong is a member of the Lori’s Hands Scholars Internship program, which provides extensive networking opportunities, experience in nonprofit operations and volunteer recruitment, a monetary stipend, and travel reimbursement. Also a member of NDMU’s Bonner Student Leader program, she has been working with Lori’s Hands since November 2023.
“I liked their emphasis on companionship for older adults,” Truong said. “I think that’s an area that’s often forgotten about in volunteer work. I also want to work in public health after graduation, and it’s been great to gain real world experience working with people who are greatly impacted by public health policies.”
Lori’s Hands formed an initial connection with NDMU’s Office of Service and Community Engagement last fall, and the organization attended the University’s annual Gator Fest in early October to begin recruiting students to join the cause. NDMU now accounts for 11 of the just over 100 student volunteers in the organization’s Baltimore chapter, which includes representatives from nine different higher education institutions.
Renee Rosales ’25 is one of the new students recruited by Truong to join the organization. Rosales and Truong are teammates on Notre Dame’s tennis team, and both are health science majors who were looking to assist community members in need.
“I really love the clients that we have,” Rosales said. “They’re so nice, sweet, and welcoming. I want to be a nurse in the future, and I’m gaining a lot of insight and knowledge about how people live on a daily basis with these chronic illnesses.”
Lori’s Hands originally launched as a student club at the University of Delaware in 2009. The organization’s Baltimore chapter was formed in 2020, and an additional chapter in Detroit began in 2022. NDMU students interested in becoming a volunteer for Lori’s Hands are encouraged to email Truong or visit the organization’s website, while any staff or faculty members wishing to partner with Lori’s Hands can contact Maddie Hagerty, Baltimore Chapter Manager, at maddie@lorishands.org
“It’s been a great experience for me so far,” Truong said. “There are a lot of networking opportunities, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know our clients. It’s a great volunteer fit for anybody in a healthcare-related major.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
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