Two Lower School students recently took their place in the Nickelodeon lineup alongside Dora the Explorer and Spongebob Squarepants. Hampton and Lydia, who are twins in the fifth grade at Charlotte Latin School, were featured in a Nickelodeon “Our World” video for their work with Hampton’s Heart for the Unhoused, the charity they started.

The inspiration was the simple observation that some people in Charlotte have to sleep outdoors. “We saw some people who needed help,” Hampton says, “and decided that the right thing to do was help people.”

Hampton’s Heart has handed out hundreds of kits of essentials to the unhoused, each containing items like water, shirts, locks, gloves, handwarmers, and personal hygiene kits. Hampton takes on more of the organizational work, while Lydia specializes in the fundraisers that give them the money to put together more kits, gradually increasing their scope and reach. “It feels good to have one small thing end up making a big difference,” Lydia says.

Hampton draws a connection between their efforts and the attributes in the Portrait of the Latin Leader. “Doing this work, I had to be a Courageous Advocate, stepping up to help other people,” he observes. “And to start something new, I had to be a Resilient Navigator.”

The Nickelodeon video about Hampton’s Heart now has over 100,000 views on YouTube. What thrills Hampton and Lydia about that burst of sudden fame: it’s now easier to do fundraising. “Now we’re getting support from people we’ve never met, not just our family and friends,” Hampton reports. 

They’re already planning a big fundraiser for their shared birthday on Valentine’s Day, when they will both turn 11 years old. In the short term, that’ll let them provide immediate aid. In the longer term, they would love to buy a building that could provide shelter to the unhoused until they get on their feet. The lesson that Lydia says she’s learned from working on Hampton’s Heart remains constant: “Help others, even if you don’t know them, because it can make a big difference.”

Congratulations, Hampton and Lydia! Your school is proud of you!