ART2 HEART
OUR STORY IN 2003, LORRAINE LEMON, ALONG WITH THE HELP OF SEVERAL OTHER PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY LEADERS FORMED ART 2 HEART. ITS MISSION HAD A 3 PRONE FOCUS FOR THE YOUTH; ONE WAS TO HELP THEM IDENTIFY THEIR TALENTS AND GIFTS TO ESTABLISH A SENSE OF SELF-WORTH AND LIFE PURPOSE SECOND WAS TO HELP THEM IDENTITY AND ESTABLISH POSITIVE VALUES THAT WOULD BUILD QUALITY CHARACTER FOR MAKING BETTER LIFE CHOICES. THIRD WAS TO HELP THEM TO TAKE THOSE TALENTS AND VALUES AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO LIVING AND LEADING PRODUCTIVE LIVES. AS THE PROGRAM BEGAN TO GROW, LORRAINE BEGAN TO SEE THAT POOR READING SKILLS HAD BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST CAUSES OF FAILURE IN OUR SCHOOLS. SHE RETURNED BACK TO SCHOOL AND OBTAINED A MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATION SO THAT SHE COULD WORK CLOSELY WITH EDUCATORS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE READING PROGRAM , AS WELL AS GET AN ACADEMIC VIEW OF HOW THE ARTS COULD BE INTEGRATED IN THE PROCESS. IT WAS THEN THAT OUR NEW PROGRAM THE READING EXPRESS AROSE OUT OF THIS NEED.
OUR STORY CONT. OUR ART2HEART AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM NOW CONSIST OF THREE COMPONENTS: FINE ARTS, PERFORMING ARTS CLASSES AND PERFORMING SUMMER CAMPS. WITH ABOUT 93% OF OUR PARTICIPANTS COMING FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HOUSEHOLDS OR WORKING POOR, WE ABLE TO PROVIDE CLASSES THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A VERY GOOD HISTORY OF COLLABORATING WITH OTHER NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, IT WAS OUR RECENT MOVE TO THE NEW BCFS NON-PROFIT RESOURCES CENTER ON MAIN ST. IN KERRVILLE, THAT EXPANDED OUR THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND EFFORTS. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS NOT ONLY ALLOWS US TO WORK BETTER TOGETHER, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO REACH MORE CHILDREN. WE CAN PROUDLY SAY SINCE OUR BEGINNING IN 2003, WE HAVE REACHED HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. MANY OF THESE STUDENTS HAVE NOW GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, ATTENDING UNIVERSITIES OR HAVE BECOME PRODUCTIVE YOUNG ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
“ TO USE THE ARTS AS A TOOL TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR VALUE AND WORTH THEREBY GAINING A SENSE OF PURPOSE TO BETTER SERVE THE TIMES THEY LIVE ” IN M ISSION S TATEMENT
“ OUR HOPE IS THAT ONE DAY YOUNG PEOPLE WILL INTEGRATE THEIR TALENTS AND VALUES INTO LIVING AND LEADING RESPONSIBLE AND PRODUCTIVE ” LIVES. V ISION S TATEMENT
ART2HEART ALMUNI
DANTE GAMBLE G ROWING UP AS A MIDDLE CHILD I STRUGGLED TO FIND MY PLACE , NOT ONLY IN THE WORLD BUT EVEN AMONG MY FAMILY . I NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO OR IF I EVEN HAD ANY TALENTS AT ALL . T HEN I MET M S . L ORRAINE OF THE A RT 2 HEART PROGRAM . M Y TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS AND I THE S ALVATION A RMY WERE IN THRIFT STORE RUNNING AROUND ATTEMPTING TO HIDE FROM MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN M S . L ORRAINE WALKED IN AND SAW US ACTING UP AND DECIDED TO PUT A STOP TO IT . I STILL DOUBT SHE KNEW EXACTLY THE KIND OF TROUBLE SHE WAS GETTING HERSELF INTO WHEN SHE OFFERED TO LET US JOIN HER AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM . O F COURSE I WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT JOINING BECAUSE I DIDN ’ T REALLY KNOW IF IT WAS FOR ME OR NOT . L OOKING BACK NOW I CAN HONESTLY SAY A RT 2H EART PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN MY UPBRINGING AND MAKING ME THE MAN I AM TODAY .
NAOMI LARA A TTENDED T IVY H IGH S CHOOL , T EXAS L UTHERAN U NIVERSITY , AND IS CURRENTLY ATTENDING T EXAS A&M L AW S CHOOL , WHERE SHE IS PREPARING TO TAKE THE B AR E XAM IN J ULY . S HE IS NOW WORKING FOR A L AW F IRM . BEN SOLDER N EUROSCIENCE MAJOR AT U NIVERSITY OF T EXAS AT A USTIN AND PART OF S TUDENT G OVERNMENT . C OMPLETED A MEDICAL MISSION TRIP TO G UATEMALA .
OUR CLASSES Art After Dark Wednesday Dance Dance Intensive Camp Creators Summer Camp Community Partner Events
COMPANY Sponsors COMMUNITY Partners INDIVIDUAL Sponsors Ron & Catherine Kliesch Ronald & Amy Speiss Wayne & Diane Wildman
SUPPORT US while you shop WHEN YOU SHOP ON AMAZON SMILE A PERCENTAGE GOES TO ART 2 HEART
TEXT TO DONATE text the code "ART2HEART" to 44-321
ART2HEART.ORG C HECK OUT OUR NEWLY DESIGNED WEBSITE !
THANK YOU ART 2 HEARTINFO @ GMAIL . COM
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