Our History

Warm Hearts Foundation began with a simple act of kindness.

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In 2000, our founder wanted to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Living in Michigan, where winters can be brutal, she began sewing fleece scarves and purchasing warm gloves to distribute at a local soup kitchen. Each gift carried a simple tag: "With Love from Warm Hearts Foundation." What started as a Thanksgiving outreach soon grew into something much bigger.

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The following year, a television story about a young boy who helped bring clean water to a village across the world sparked a new vision. If one person could transform an entire community, perhaps Warm Hearts could do the same.

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That opportunity came in 2002 during a volunteer trip to Kenya with Kindee Dixon. While visiting a school in Molo, the team learned that teenage girls woke at 4:00 a.m. each day to collect a single bucket of water for drinking and bathing. Waterborne illnesses were common, and the school's greatest need was clear: a safe, reliable water source.

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The school had already completed the engineering plans—they simply needed someone willing to help fund the project. Warm Hearts accepted the challenge.

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In 2003, thanks to generous donors across the United States and dedicated local partners in Kenya, Warm Hearts completed its first major project: drilling a water well and building a plumbing, sanitation, and irrigation system that transformed the school and surrounding community.

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That first project led to a lasting partnership with Kwa Watoto Centre and School in Nairobi, where Warm Hearts helped establish Warm Hearts House, providing a safe home for vulnerable children. Today, those children have grown into doctors, college graduates, skilled tradespeople, nonprofit leaders, musicians, and students who continue to strengthen their own communities.

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Around the same time, Warm Hearts began working in Malawi after meeting Clement Chiwaya, a young leader determined to improve opportunities in his home village. What began as a plan to build a school quickly shifted to addressing an even more urgent need—clean water.

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Since then, Warm Hearts has partnered with local communities to drill more than 400 deep-water wells across Malawi, providing safe drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people. Together, we also built The School of Hope (Chiyembekezo School), which has educated more than 4,500 students since opening its doors in 2005.

Today, Warm Hearts continues to partner with local leaders in Kenya and Malawi to create sustainable, community-led solutions that improve access to clean water, education, healthcare, and opportunity. What began with a pair of gloves and a handmade scarf has grown into a mission that continues to change lives—one community at a time.