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Connecting College Students with
Hospitalized Children & Isolated Older Adults

Bringing fun, friendship and support when they need it most.

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Connection & Care

StudentsCare is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that connects undergraduate healthcare students nationwide with hospitalized children and isolated older adults to provide fun, friendship and support.

Our Mission

Our Programs

Undergraduate College Students Volunteer Children | Hospitals |

Hospital Buddy Program

Our Hospital Buddy Program provides critical direct support that can improve healthcare outcomes for pediatric patients. Partnering with hospital staff, we pair college students with young patients to help alleviate the emotional effects of long-term hospitalization.

Read more about our Hospital Buddy Program

Undergraduate College Students Volunteer | Seniors | Senior Care Facilities

Senior Buddy Program

Our Senior Buddy Program fosters meaningful intergenerational connections, by pairing college students with older adults in assisted living facilities. Through this program, we help reduce social isolation and loneliness, improving the overall wellbeing of the residents and the community.

Read more about our Senior Buddy Program

Are you a hospital or senior living professional interested in bringing StudentsCare to your facility?

Hospitals
Senior Living

Our Impact

Buddy Hours

Students Trained

Comfort Kits Distributed

Facilities Served

Be a Part of the Connection

Join us in supporting hospitalized children and isolated older adults!

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Meet Our Buddies

Student Snapshots

Every week, our amazing Student Buddies take time to spread a little cheer at hospitals and senior living facilities around the country. Whether it’s playing board games, working on a craft project or just having a conversation, our Student Buddies provide unforgettable moments of joy for the hospitalized children and older adults.

These acts of kindness don’t go unnoticed — we now have the unique opportunity to showcase these inspiring stories. Snapshots from our weekly visits, reminding us all of the power of human connection.

Hospital Buddy Program

“Today, I attended a group activity at Ronald McDonald House to bake cookies with the pediatric patients residing there.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time today and would love to go back soon.”

Meera Semaan
Saint Louis University

“Today I spent time with an older patient (high school). I could tell it was refreshing for them to have someone around their age there to talk to & hang out with. We played chess together, it was really fun! I was horrible at chess, but he taught me rules along the way. Afterwards, he thanked me for giving him company & told me how appreciative he was. I am happy I was able to bring a smile to his face.”

Ava Long
University of Texas at Austin

“I visited with a patient who just got a slime kit from child life at the hospital. We played with the slime for a long time, and it was so much fun! We ended up mixing all the slime colors together and added a bunch of glitter and things to it.”

Keana Du
University of Miami

Senior Buddy Program

“Played Rakkumib (I think that’s how you spell it) with two residents, then set up Bingo and got to talk with a few other residents I haven’t seen in a while.”

Mark Li
University of Texas Austin

“Sang karaoke, danced and played Simon says. They loved playing this game and were grateful that we spent time with them.”

Kelly Mayol-Graciano
University of Miami

“There was a group activity where multiple volunteers and buddies were present. It was a chance to get to know the residents, so we talked, ate pastries, and danced a whole lot.”

Nahomy Cuarezma
Florida International University

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What started as just an idea to have college students volunteer with a few children at one hospital has grown into a national organization that has made a difference in the lives of thousands of hospitalized children, and over the past two years, hundreds of vulnerable older adults too. It hasn’t been easy, but all the hard work is worth it to hear the stories of the beautiful connections we are facilitating each day, across generations.

Our hopes for the organization over the next 10 years, is to be open to learning and evolving, while staying true to our mission and guiding principles, to embrace diversity and foster inclusivity, and keep the people we serve at the forefront of our mission.

Join us in celebrating our 10-year anniversary and shaping our future with your generous donation. Become a part of our journey by giving today!

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