About Us

Helping Hands MB is a 501(c)(3) non-profit co-founded by twin brothers Jonathan and David Tamen when they were 15 and student leaders at Miami Beach Senior High School. It has continued to expand and involve more students in its mission. More than 800 students in grades 3 to 12 have participated in a Helping Hands project. The signature project has been to make free prosthetic hands for orphans in Haiti and any needy child in the world.

Jonathan is now at Clark University in Massachusetts, where he was named a Presidential Scholar and awarded a four-year scholarship to study the intersection of economics, public education, and community development. He is heading efforts to launch the new chapters and begin volunteer efforts with local Title 1 schools.

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David is at Boston University, where he was named a Trustee Scholar and awarded a four-year scholarship to study mechanical engineering with interests in robotics and materials science. He was named a Silver Knight by the Miami Herald and achieved Eagle Scout in Scouts of America.

Helping Hands evolved out of a community service project conceived by Jonathan, then Captain of his school’s FIRST Robotics team. Jonathan pitched his proposal to the Mayor and Commissioners of the City of Miami Beach to sponsor his STEAM+ project idea to mentor low-income elementary students in fun coding and robotics classes. The project was a huge success, bringing accolades from city leaders, school principals, teachers,  parents, and most importantly all students – both big and small.

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In May 2020, Jonathan and David received a Call for Kindness award from the Riley’s Way Foundation, with a $3,000 grant to launch Helping Hands MB and a chapter of the e-NABLE (Enabling the Future) engineering charity. Helping Hands MB is the first e-NABLE Chapter in Miami. ​