Hearty Hands

Hearty Hands is dedicated to heating and healing the hands of Madison’s homeless population by listening to the ones we serve to provide products and services relevant to everyday needs. On a cold January night in Madison, WI, our founder got to talking with a man experiencing homelessness. Mid-talk, she saw his hands. They were cracked, dry, swollen, and purple. His weathered hands looked painful. She asked what she could do. The man told her his hands were constantly cold. Most of the time, he could not feel them. She left after purchasing him a hot tea for his hands thinking it would keep his hands warm for at least an hour. Weeks later, the man and the image of his hands would not leave her mind. She knew she had to help. The homeless population in Madison need hand warmth and care in the brutal Wisconsin winters. As of 2016, 2,400 men, women, and children experience homelessness in Dane County. These people brave some of the coldest weather in the nation and need assistance.