The Hershey Heartwarming Project is designed to spread kindness, establish connection, and boost social and emotional wellbeing within students.

Schools develop student-led service-learning projects and submit their proposals to Hershey as part of a competitive process.

In the Riverside County Office of Education’s Alternative Education Unit, three schools developed and submitted a proposal for this opportunity, and all three schools were selected for this project.

Palm Springs Community School (Palm Springs)

Students identified an area of need and provided blankets and chocolate to the less fortunate. The Harrison House was identified as an organization to provide supplies to, and students had the opportunity to experience the joy of giving while delivering the items to the organization.

Betty G. Gibbel Regional Learning Center (San Jacinto)

Students identified the unhoused population as a group to support in the San Jacinto Valley and decided to create hygiene kits. They planned and organized what items were necessary, based on the organization's needs. The items were donated to Valley Restart in Hemet, an organization that focuses on homeless families with children and individuals who desire to change their circumstances and become more self-sufficient.

Val Verde Regional Learning Center (Perris)

One student immediately thought of an idea close to her heart with a vision to provide unhoused individuals with care packages in the form of backpacks containing essentials such as toiletries, clothing items, and non-perishable food. Operation Safe House, a local non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter, intervention, and outreach services to run away, homeless, or other youth in crisis, was identified as the best fit to receive.

Watch the video created by RCOE’s Digital Production Services team that highlights the students that participated in the project.