Touching Heart

TOUCHING HEART IS ON A MISSION TO INSPIRE CHILDREN AND FILL THEIR YOUNG HEARTS WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR ONE ANOTHER, BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMPASSIONATE LEADERS. OUR PROGRAMS ENLIGHTEN, EXCITE, AND EDUCATE CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE THE TRUE JOY THAT COMES FROM HELPING THOSE IN NEED.

KIDS ON A MISSION (KOAM) - TOUCHING HEART COACHES WORK WITH A LEADERSHIP TEAM OF 3-5 CHILDREN TO SELECT A CAUSE, THEN PLAN AND IMPLEMENT AN EVENT TO RAISE FUNDS TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN NEED. TOUCHING HEART PARTNERS WITH CAREFULLY SELECTED LOCAL CAUSES THAT BENEFIT LOCAL CHILDREN AND INTERNATIONAL ORPHANAGES. USING A CHILD-LED, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING CURRICULUM DEVELOPED BY TOUCHING HEART, THESE YOUNG LEADERS LEARN PRACTICAL LIFE AND BUSINESS SKILLS INCLUDING GOAL-SETTING, MARKETING, BUDGETING, PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT. THEY EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF WORKING AS A TEAM TOGETHER TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED, AND MOST OF THEM CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN! CHILDREN IN OUR PROGRAMS SEE THE IMPACT OF THEIR EFFORTS THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS, LETTERS, CONFERENCE CALLS AND VIDEO. TOUCHING HEART BELIEVES THAT CHILDREN SEEING THE ACTUAL RESULTS OF THEIR GIVING ACTIONS IS CRITICAL TO INSPIRING CHILDREN TO CONTINUE TO GIVE. EXAMPLES OF KIDS ON A MISSION EVENTS INCLUDE A FASHION SHOW, MINECRAFT TOURNAMENT, BASKETBALL AND SOCCER TOURNAMENTS, A PRINCESS TEA PARTY AND A ART GALLERY SALE. SINCE 2010, OVER 4,000 KIDS LED OR PARTICIPATED IN KIDS ON A MISSION EVENTS, BENEFITTING OVER 12,000 CHILDREN LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY FROM THE FUNDS RAISED FROM THE EVENTS.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS - IN TOUCHING HEART'S CLASSES AND CLUBS, PARTICIPANTS TAKE ACTION TO HELP OTHERS AND LEARN ABOUT THE IMPACT THEY CAN HAVE TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. THEY COMPLETE HANDS-ON SERVICE PROJECTS SUCH AS PREPARING FOOD FOR HOMELESS SHELTERS AND MAKING FLEECE SCARVES AND BLANKETS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED. THEY ALSO LEARN ABOUT ISSUES SUCH AS CLEAN WATER AND HUNGER ERADICATION, AND PARTICIPATE IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND COMPASSION AND EMPATHY EXERCISES. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSES CONSIST OF EIGHT ONE-HOUR SESSIONS, WHILE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE YEARLONG CLUBS. SINCE 2015 TOUCHING HEART CLASSES AND CLUBS WERE HELD IN OVER 26 SCHOOLS IN FAIRFAX AND LOUDOUN COUNTY IN VA, MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN MD AND BROOKLYN IN NY. WITH OVER 700 CHILDREN ATTENDING THE PROGRAMS, THEY IN TURN HELPED OVER 5,500 CHILDREN IN NEED. TOUCHING HEART CLASSES AND CLUBS HAVE GROWN QUICKLY, MOSTLY THROUGH WORD-OF-MOUTH, AND RECEIVED RAVE REVIEWS FROM PARENTS AND PARTICIPANTS.

TOUCHING HEART HAS HAD LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP CHILDREN IN NEED INCLUDING THE ARLINGTON, FAIRFAX AND LOUDON COUNTY FOSTER CARE PROGRAMS, FAIRFAX COUNTY FAMILY SERVICES, AND CORNERSTONES IN HERNDON. TOUCHING HEART HELPS CHILDREN RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH LOCAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. IN 2020 TOUCHING HEART KIDS PARTICIPATED IN ASSEMBLING LUNCHES AND CREATING COLD CARE PACKS FOR LOCAL HOMELESS SHELTERS, ORGANIZING SUMMER FUN FAIR AND WINTER HOLIDAY PARTIES FOR FAIRFAX COUNTY FOSTER CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, PROVIDING BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO FOSTER CHILDREN IN VARIOUS COUNTIES. TOUCHING HEART ALSO HAS CONDUCTED STRINGENT REVIEWS OF SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL ORPHANAGES, SELECTING ONLY A FEW TO BE OUR PARTNERS. WE ARE VERY SELECTIVE ON WHO WE PARTNER WITH, AS WE PROVIDE THESE ORPHANAGES WITH SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.