By The Hand Club For Kids
By The Hand Club For Kids – Altgeld-Murray, 13015 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60827
About
By The Hand Club For Kids is a Christ-centered, after-school program that includes summer camps, sports, art, and other experiences for children. The program has involved kids in packing 1,200 “Boxes of Love” for Chicago families in need and in partnering with Habitat for Humanity Chicago to help build three new homes for families in Austin. It focuses on helping students read at grade level with personalized academic support and technology-enabled instruction, and it offers spiritual guidance and personal mentoring from caring and involved adults.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
By The Hand Club For Kids states that it walks with students from kindergarten through college, nurturing mind, body, and soul. It currently serves more than 2,000 children and operates in some of Chicago’s most dangerous and under-resourced neighborhoods. The program helps students enroll and excel at Chicago’s most competitive high schools and become college graduates, and it provides nutritious meals, comprehensive healthcare, and professional counseling. It also offers experiences such as summer camps, sports, and art as part of its activities.
By The Hand began in 2001 with 16 children from Cabrini-Green and has celebrated 25 years since it first opened its doors to those 16 students. Its leadership team includes Founder and CEO Donnita Travis and Director of Social and Emotional Learning Daniel Bell, along with site directors Davina Wilson (Altgeld-Murray), Eddie Wilson (Austin), Joshua Wheeler (Cabrini-Green), Bethany Watson (Englewood), Jeffrey Jamison (Moving Everest/Austin), and Yasenia Roman (North Austin). Board member and alum Travis Smith also serves in leadership. The organization describes its belief in “The Power of One” to transform lives.
By The Hand’s community involvement includes serving more than 2,000 children from Cabrini-Green, Altgeld-Murray, Austin, North Austin, and Englewood. Staff and volunteers have partnered with Habitat for Humanity Chicago to help build three new homes for families in Austin. Lou Malnati’s has hosted a community event for 17 years, filling each basket with Thanksgiving meals for Chicago families in need, including 360 By The Hand families. Austin Harvest grew out of a desire for youth to lead the way for positive community change, and Bowen Harvest grew from a desire to bring youth-led solutions to food access for Altgeld Gardens. Testimonials from participants include statements such as “I believe I’ve spoken this home into existence” and “It’s a blessing to be here.”
Last updated July 30, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
By The Hand Club For Kids states that it walks with students from kindergarten through college, nurturing mind, body, and soul. It currently serves more than 2,000 children and operates in some of Chicago’s most dangerous and under-resourced neighborhoods. The program helps students enroll and excel at Chicago’s most competitive high schools and become college graduates, and it provides nutritious meals, comprehensive healthcare, and professional counseling. It also offers experiences such as summer camps, sports, and art as part of its activities.
By The Hand began in 2001 with 16 children from Cabrini-Green and has celebrated 25 years since it first opened its doors to those 16 students. Its leadership team includes Founder and CEO Donnita Travis and Director of Social and Emotional Learning Daniel Bell, along with site directors Davina Wilson (Altgeld-Murray), Eddie Wilson (Austin), Joshua Wheeler (Cabrini-Green), Bethany Watson (Englewood), Jeffrey Jamison (Moving Everest/Austin), and Yasenia Roman (North Austin). Board member and alum Travis Smith also serves in leadership. The organization describes its belief in “The Power of One” to transform lives.
By The Hand’s community involvement includes serving more than 2,000 children from Cabrini-Green, Altgeld-Murray, Austin, North Austin, and Englewood. Staff and volunteers have partnered with Habitat for Humanity Chicago to help build three new homes for families in Austin. Lou Malnati’s has hosted a community event for 17 years, filling each basket with Thanksgiving meals for Chicago families in need, including 360 By The Hand families. Austin Harvest grew out of a desire for youth to lead the way for positive community change, and Bowen Harvest grew from a desire to bring youth-led solutions to food access for Altgeld Gardens. Testimonials from participants include statements such as “I believe I’ve spoken this home into existence” and “It’s a blessing to be here.”
Last updated July 30, 2026.
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