If you have been to a Free Arts Day, chances are good that you have seen or even been surrounded by bright green Edward Jones t-shirts. You may have even noticed that every Volunteer Spotlight in the Art Heals Newsletter in 2019 has been presented by Edward Jones. These two things are not unrelated. Central...
Laughter and smiles were all around the Encanto Room at the Heard Museum as children’s hands went up to let volunteer mentors know that they had completed the bead necklaces that they were making. Volunteer mentors went over to the waiting children and with caring patience tied up the colorful necklace for the children to...
Free Arts relies on contributed income to serve abused and homeless children living in Arizona. Unlike some of our partner agencies, we do not benefit from government contracts, and unlike some of our arts and culture partners, we do not benefit from a membership model or a store or gift shop. Instead, we rely on...
There is a growing concern, particularly in Southwest states like Arizona, about the children crossing the United States border and who are then held in detention centers and shelters while they work through the immigration process. They are often referred to as “border children”, but the legal term for them is “unaccompanied minors” as they...
By: Jessica Flowers, Program Director Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona exists to transform children’s trauma to resilience. Trauma, including abuse, neglect, and homelessness can cause major changes to the brains and bodies of developing children. Damaging effects can include behavioral and mental challenges, chronic disease, and early death. Resilience, in its simplest definition,...
Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona creates safe spaces for children to transform their trauma to resilience, and one of our premier events that accomplishes this goal is Creativity Day. As part of the Free Art Day program, Creativity Day showcases a variety of art forms and features different cultural partners in one art-filled...
Free Arts staff is continuously educating themselves in ways to transform trauma to resilience. Through attending conferences, reading books and articles, and viewing various programming on the subject, Free Arts staff looks to find innovative techniques to help children increase skills and strengthen relationships, through resilience-building art programs and caring adult volunteer mentors. Here are...
By Michael Jung, Volunteer Mentor You want to volunteer for an organization. You’ve heard all about the benefits of volunteering. How it boosts your self-esteem and improves your health. How you can make friends and network. How you can learn new skills that will help you personally and professionally. But how do you decide which volunteer organization...
By Gabriella, Alumni Mentor My name is Gabriella, but my Free Arts family calls me Gabs. Free Arts is a nonprofit organization that builds hope and heals children’s trauma through artistic expression. I know this because I was a participant. I’ve been involved with Free Arts since 2012, when I was twelve years old. I’m...
By: Jessica Flowers, Free Arts Program Director In 2007, I was hired to coordinate the Weekly Mentor Program at Free Arts. As a part of my training, I led my own weekly mentor group and visited countless mentors to observe their programs and offer feedback. I ran this program for six years, wrote project curriculum,...
