Sacred Heart is a private, Catholic school situated in the heart of affluent Saratoga. Washington is public and the poorest school in the San Jose Unified School District. Washington is located in downtown San Jose amid a neighborhood known for drugs, gangs and violence, so uniforms reduce gang-affiliated clothing and create safety.

If a Washington student tears his or her uniform it may not be fixed, said Keirsten Lampkin, a seventh grade teacher at Sacred Heart. But if a Sacred Heart student ruins a uniform, the child's parents can probably afford a new one.

It's basic and economic differences like these that could be separating these two groups of students, but are instead bringing them together through Sacred Heart's Community Outreach Mentoring Program.

For the first time, Sacred Heart seventh graders have been randomly paired with second, third and fourth graders at Washington. Once a month for an hour after school, the Sacred Heart students volunteer and mentor Washington students, who attend a city-funded program after school known as LEARNS or Literacy, Education, Arts, Recreation, Nurtures, Students.

At the LEARNS program, which takes place on the Washington Elementary School campus at 100 Oak St. in San Jose, once students complete their homework, they can participate in athletic activities, art projects, games or use the school's computer lab. The older Sacred Heart students use the time to help the younger Washington students with their homework, read stories together and engage in recreational and craft activities.

For the past 13 years, Mark Lopez, who works for Washington, has been overseeing the LEARNS program with his brother, Mike, who works for the city of San Jose. Lopez said children attend the program between 2:30­5:30 p.m. since many of them come from families where both parents work and the students have nowhere to go after school. Due to state and district budget cutbacks, the program has lost 10 tutors, Lopez said, causing them to rely heavily on volunteers such as the Sacred Heart students.

"Since a lot of the kids don't have support at home with reading and homework, it gives them that person to depend on," Lopez said.

Lopez added they are fortunate for any assistance they receive from outside schools and community organizations, but added that he hoped other groups would see that the school is in need of support on a more continual basis.

"Our kids get really attached to whoever comes out and helps," Lopez said.

He said about 95 percent of Washington students receive free lunch, many of them are immigrants and most don't speak English as a first language.

Lampkin said an added benefit to the program is that Sacred Heart seventh graders taking Spanish get to practice their foreign language speaking skills with Washington students, and conversely. She said the only downfall of the program is they don't have enough time.

"We would have more of a presence if we came more than once a month," she said.

Lampkin also requires her students to write a reflection after each visit about their experience at Washington.

"It's something they look forward to on both sides," Lampkin said, adding that especially as the holiday season approaches it's important for the students to remember to be grateful.

"They are not only becoming more thankful for what they have, but becoming a part of someone else's life," Lampkin said.

Saratoga parent Denise Mingrone said her hope is that the program will continue next year and the relationship between the paired children won't just end. This year her son is learning to appreciate how lucky he is through mentoring 8-year-old Joel Lopez.

"It's especially poignant over the holidays because you do think about those less fortunate," Mingrone said.

Twelve-year-old Matt Morales, who attends Sacred Heart, gave Salvador Huerta, 7, a hand with adding and subtracting on Nov. 17.

"I'm correcting his math," Morales said. "He's doing pretty good."

Lampkin said that, for the Sacred Heart students who come from upper class homes, it helps ground them in reality and make them more appreciative of what they have. Community service is also a graduation requirement at Sacred Heart, so students will engage in other volunteer activities throughout the year.

"It's really about that connection that someone else is counting on them to be there," Lampkin said.

Michael Guercio, 13, and Daniel Alcala, 7, have learned so far in their friendship that they like reading books together, both of their favorite colors are blue and each enjoy eating macaroni and cheese.

"I feel like I can help someone younger than me," Guercio said. "It feels great to help someone and know that he's getting help from me, and that I'm making a difference."