About Helping Hands

Helping Hands MB is a Florida Non-Profit in Miami Beach, that evolved out of a community service project conceived in April 2019 by Jonathan Tamen, then Captain of his school’s FIRST Robotics team, the MiamiBeachBots. As a member of the City of Miami Beach Youth Commission, Jonathan asked the Mayor and City Commissioners to sponsor the robotics team in his STEAM+ project idea to mentor low-income elementary students in coding and robotics classes in a fun way using educational LEGOs and a big sister/big brother-style bonding. The project was a huge success, bringing accolades from the Mayor, school principals, teachers, and parents, and most importantly all students – both big and small.

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When COVID shuttered schools in February 2020, Jonathan encouraged his brother David to try to use the 3D printers in their bedroom to make urgently needed personal protective equipment for first responders in their community. After several experiments, David designed, created, and made an inexpensive plastic facial shield, running his 3D printers 24/7. He also taught other high school students to make them, and collectively the group made more than 400 shields donated to doctors, health care workers, police, and municipal workers in the Miami area. 

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The brothers were featured on the Miami ABC affiliate TV news, Spanish-language television, and the Miami Herald.

In May 2020, Jonathan and his brother David received a Call for Kindness award from the Riley’s Way Foundation, with a $3,000 grant for their proposal to launch a 3D Printing Club and a chapter of the e-Nable engineering charity at Miami Beach Senior High. 

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David is leading the effort for the high school club to make prosthetic hands. He is already certified by e-Nable to make an adult- and a child-size prosthetic hand. 

The generous grant from Riley’s Way will pay for additional 3D printers, hand kits from e-Nable, and additional supplies.

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Helping Hands is also doing weekly Zoom classes on basic electronics and engineering with sixth-graders at Nautilus Middle School in Miami Beach. The project is again the only student-led partnership receiving funding from the City of Miami Beach STEAM+ program.