Our Mission and Members
We, the Dartmouth class of ’88, seek to build a community that supports the health and well-being of our classmates by proactively offering emotional and professional support during times of stress, personal loss and challenging life events.
If you, a classmate, or family member is experiencing a serious illness or personal loss, the ’88 Hearts and Hands Caring Committee can be mobilized to provide moral support, communication, and non-financial assistance to the person. 
Additionally, ’88 Hearts and Hands has established an Advice Network, which is intended to be a confidential way for classmates to find a helping hand from other classmates with specific relevant life or professional experience. The goal is to have a way to leverage the knowledge and experience of our class for the benefit of classmates in need.
Through the ’88 Advice Network, any member of the Class of ’88 may request confidential advice from a classmate who has volunteered to be a resource on a topic area (listed here) when confronted with a new diagnosis, or a challenging life event that raises more questions than they can answer (or navigate) on their own. If you are in need of assistance or advice on , you can access the ’88 Advice Network. At least one ’88 classmate has volunteered to serve as a resource for currently covered topics. If you do not see a relevant topic area, feel free to email a committee member and we will see if we can find an appropriate volunteer.
Committee Members
’88 Hearts and Hands is currently made up of the following volunteers (and we would love you to join us). If you or a classmate you know is in need of assistance, you can activate ’88 Hearts and Hands confidentially by reaching out to any member of the Committee.
| Co-Chairs: | Michelle Stowe Ong Steve Cook |
|
| Vice Chair: | Mary Flounders Green | |
| Members: | (to come) |
How Our Two Networks Work
’88 Hearts and Hands
If an ’88 family is experiencing a serious illness or personal loss, let us know and the ’88 Hearts and Hands Committee will reach out to the classmate or family to ascertain what, if any, assistance we might provide. The nature of the assistance provided will depend on the circumstances and the desires of the family. The involvement could range from simply informing the class or close friends of the classmate in question about the situation so that people are aware and can reach out on their own, to something more involved like mobilizing local meal deliveries, visits or childcare if needed.
’88 Advice Network
If you are in need of assistance or advice on a topic area listed here, you can access the ’88 Advice Network. At least one ’88 classmate has volunteered to serve as a resource for currently covered topics. If you do not see a relevant topic area, feel free to email a committee member and we will see if we can find an appropriate volunteer.
The Advice Network volunteers are willing to share their personal and/or professional experiences and knowledge, but it is important to note that this is a volunteer advice network that exists as support “from friends for friends” and it should not be relied on to replace professional help, or a place to solicit business. As an example, any doctors or attorneys in the network may give whatever professional or personal advice they feel comfortable sharing to help guide or better inform a classmate seeking help, but the intention is not to set up a “free” services relationship.
Confidentiality
The strength of our ’88 Advice Network is based on the pillar of confidentiality. Because of the potentially sensitive nature of many of the topic areas, discretion is paramount,
both for those providing and those seeking advice. The database of volunteers will be accessible only to the ’88 Hearts and Hands Co-Chairs and ’88 Class President. The list will not be public.
Volunteers will remain anonymous until they are connected with a specific classmate seeking advice. For those seeking advice, your email will go directly to the ’88 Hearts and Hands Co-Chairs who will use the information provided to coordinate a connection with the appropriate volunteer in the Advice Network. A Co-Chair will contact the volunteer and make sure that they are still willing and able to participate before giving their contact information to the classmate seeking advice. The Co-Chairs and all of the volunteers have pledged to maintain confidentiality, so the request will only be known to the Co-Chairs and the specific volunteer that is contacted.
You can help
Our goal is to continue to add volunteers and topic areas, so if you would like to volunteer, send an email to Michelle Stowe Ong and Steve Cook.
Disclaimer
There are too many ’88s who are lawyers to avoid one of these…..
The ’88 Hearts and Hands Advice Network exists as a volunteer service for ’88s and their immediate families. Although some of our volunteers are professionals with licenses to practice, all assistance sought here is ’88 to ’88. So no diagnoses; no legal advice; no tax returns completed gratis by accountants in the class.
Our assistance is intended to provide initial direction or assistance or short term-help. While we intend to maintain confidentiality to the extent permitted by law, please know that traditional physician-patient or attorney-client privileges, for example, may not apply.
