Hearts and Hands

What Hearts and Hands does

Hearts and Hands (legally Hearts and Hands; Faith in Action, Inc., previously operating as Faith in Action) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Williamsville, New York, with additional offices in Akron and Buffalo. The organization delivers door-through-door escorted transportation, companionship, light in-home maintenance, and Medicaid navigation services at no charge to older adults aged 60+ and adults with disabilities in Erie County and Eastern Niagara County. Service delivery is built on a volunteer model in which trained community members use the internal Assisted Rides Portal for scheduling and log service hours and mileage, supplemented by a video-based Training Academy that standardizes procedures such as mobility-device handling and vehicle entry assistance.

The organization is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations ($10–$1,000 tiers), foundation grants (Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, John R. Oishei Foundation, Chur Family Foundation, Foundation 214), faith-partner contributions aggregating approximately $26,000 annually, Department of Transportation dollar-for-dollar donation matching, and professional-services revenue from a Medicaid 1115 Waiver partnership with the Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative (WNYICC). All services are provided at no charge to care recipients; the organization's pricing model is therefore donor- and grant-funded rather than transactional. Go-to-market relies on community-led outreach through more than 50 faith partners, healthcare-provider referrals, county aging-services partnerships, social media, and earned media, rather than paid acquisition.

Operations are governed by a Board chaired by David J. Vitka (June 2023) and led day-to-day by Executive Director Christine Kirwan, with a paid staff of approximately eight to ten across program services, case management, community engagement, and volunteer coordination. The organization is Title VI compliant, operates with no external parent, and has no subsidiaries, funding rounds, or M&A activity. The organization is currently capacity-constrained — its waitlist for new enrollment is full — indicating sustained demand that exceeds current volunteer-driven delivery capacity within the two-county service area.

Name

Hearts and Hands

Legal name

Hearts and Hands; Faith in Action, Inc.

Website

https://hnhcares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hearts and Hands is a Williamsville, New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free door-through-door transportation, companionship, in-home support, and Medicaid navigation services to older adults and adults with disabilities in Erie and Eastern Niagara Counties through a trained volunteer workforce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior and Disability Volunteer Caregiving Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Door-to-Door Senior Ride Services (Non-Medical) (HSABAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation, Escort & Appointment Accompaniment (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAF), Personal Care & ADL Assistance (bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility) (HLADAGAA), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Volunteer caregiving services
• Senior transportation
• Nonprofit elder care
• Companionship services
• In-home support

Headquarters

HQ city

Lockport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations at various levels ($10, $25, $100, $250, $500, $1,000) to support volunteer operations, mileage reimbursement, and service delivery
2. Foundation Funding: Financial support from foundation partners including Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, John R. Oishei Foundation, Chur Family Foundation, and Foundation 214
3. Faith Partner Contributions: Support from faith community partners through Sunday plate collections, fundraisers, and direct giving programs. Faith partners contribute approximately $26,000 annually
4. Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program: Partnership with WNYICC connecting Medicaid members to health-related social needs services through NY State Health Equity Reform program

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hearts and Hands is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free, door-through-door escorted transportation, companionship, and light in-home support services to older adults aged 60+ and adults with disabilities in Erie County and Eastern Niagara County, New York. The organization also offers Medicaid navigation services through a partnership with the Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative (WNYICC) under New York's Medicaid 1115 Waiver program. All services are delivered at no charge by trained volunteers and supported through donations, foundation grants, and faith-partner contributions.

Product overview

Hearts and Hands is a volunteer-based non-profit organization offering a coordinated service program for older adults aged 60+ and adults with disabilities in Erie County and Eastern Niagara County, New York. The core service portfolio includes Transportation Services (door-through-door escorted transportation), Companionship Services (friendly visits and caregiver respite), In-Home Services (light household maintenance), and Medicaid Navigation (connecting enrollees to health-related social needs services). The organization supports its operations through a Training Academy for volunteer education and an Assisted Rides Portal for volunteer scheduling. All services are provided at no charge to care recipients through volunteer best efforts, with the mission to help older adults remain independent in their homes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportation Services Door-through-door escorted transportation services for older adults to medical appointments, grocery shopping, errands, social gatherings, and wellness centers. Volunteers use personal vehicles and assist recipients into their homes, distinguishing the offering from curb-to-curb transportation.
• Companionship Services Non-medical companion care providing friendly visits, conversation, card games, board games, reading, and TV/movie watching. Includes caregiver respite services and the Coffee and Conversation program offering gift cards to local coffee shops.
• In-Home Services Light household maintenance assistance including assembling furniture, changing smoke detector batteries, changing air filters, light yard work, home organization, and shopping assistance to help seniors remain independent at home.
• Medicaid Navigation Partnership with the Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative (WNYICC) connecting Medicaid enrollees to non-medical services including nutrition support, transportation, housing assistance, and employment/education support through New York's Medicaid 1115 Waiver program (NYHER).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 volunteer hours contributed annually, equivalent to over $200,000 in service value
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative (WNYICC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to connect Medicaid Members with services supporting better health through collaboration and community under NY's Medicaid 1115 Waiver program (NYHER)
• National Volunteer Caregiving NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork membership providing best practices and support for volunteer caregiving programs
• Amherst Center for Senior ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing referrals and collaborative services for seniors
• Erie County Department of Senior ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing referrals and coordinated care for seniors in Erie County
• Niagara County Office For The AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing referrals and coordinated services for aging population in Niagara County
• NYS Office Of The AgingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partner providing guidance and support for aging services
• Akron First United Methodist ChurchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith partner hosting Akron office location and supporting volunteer recruitment
• WegmanssupportingOthersCorporate sponsor supporting the organization's mission
• Perry's Ice CreamsupportingOthersCorporate sponsor providing in-kind support for volunteer events
• Summit Health Care SolutionssupportingOthersCorporate sponsor; President Darlene Maclay serves on Board of Directors

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Volunteer Caregiving Network: A national network of volunteer-based caregiving programs serving older adults and persons with disabilities. Hearts and Hands is itself a member, making this the closest peer at the organizational model level — both deliver transportation, companionship, and in-home support through volunteers at no cost.
• Faith in Action (national): Faith in Action is the umbrella interfaith volunteer caregiving network from which Hearts and Hands (originally incorporated as Faith in Action, Inc.) takes its name. Both organizations mobilize volunteers from faith communities to provide non-medical support to older adults and people with disabilities.
• Visiting Angels: A national franchise network offering non-medical companion and personal care services to seniors, including transportation and in-home support. Directly comparable to Hearts and Hands' companionship and in-home service lines, though Visiting Angels operates on a paid private-pay model rather than volunteer model.
• Comfort Keepers: A national provider of in-home companionship, personal care, and transportation services for seniors. Operates in adjacent service categories to Hearts and Hands — particularly around transportation escort and companionship — though as a paid franchise rather than a volunteer nonprofit.
• ITN America: A national nonprofit providing dignified, door-through-door transportation services for older adults who have stopped driving. Closely comparable to Hearts and Hands' core transportation service, including the membership-based, volunteer-driven model in many of its affiliates.

Regional players

• Meals on Wheels of Western New York: A regional nonprofit in Western New York delivering meals and welfare checks to homebound seniors. Operates in an adjacent service category with overlapping volunteer base and referral networks in the same Erie/Niagara County geography.
• Catholic Charities of Buffalo: A regional faith-based nonprofit providing senior services, case management, and support programs across Western New York. Comparable as a similarly structured faith-rooted nonprofit serving overlapping populations in the same geography.

Emerging players

• GoGoGrandparent: A tech-enabled service that turns on-demand rideshare into senior-friendly transportation without requiring a smartphone. An emerging player competing in the same senior transportation category as Hearts and Hands but with a fundamentally different technology-led approach.
• Honor Technology: A technology platform powering in-home care for older adults, combining caregiver matching, scheduling, and care management. An emerging competitor in the same elder-care category that demonstrates how tech-enabled models can scale senior in-home services more efficiently than volunteer-driven models.

Others

• Erie County Department of Senior Services: The local government agency that is both a referral partner and a potential competitor/funding source for senior services in Hearts and Hands' primary service area. Their coordinated-care overlap makes them ecosystemically comparable rather than directly competitive.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hnhcares
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hearts-and-hands-faith-in-action-hnh
• Instagraminstagram.com/hnhcares_
• Xx.com/hnhcares

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hearts and Hands