Goal Met For Annual Art Supply Drive
The Arts & Culture Alliance is thrilled to share the goal has been met of raising $1,000 for art supplies to match local grant funds. Our partnership with West Marshall High School’s Student Philanthropy group, L.U.C.C. (Leading Uplifting our Community with Charity), allowed us to match each dollar raised. With the help of the community, a total of $2,000 was raised for art supplies to support YSS of Marshall County’s programming and therapy services.
Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Marshall County, Julie Hitchins, shared, “the students from L.U.C.C. were excited to provide this matching gift opportunity. By offering this challenge to the community the students learned how their grant dollars could be doubled and even more services provided”.
The art supply drive began in 2020 when YSS was experiencing a 75% increase in therapy cases due to an increase in anxiety, stress and fear from COVID-19. Originally, we anticipated this effort to be a one-time occurrence. However, the response and benefits we have seen transpire out of these art supplies has far exceeded our expectations.
Director of YSS, David Hicks, said, “thank you to the Marshall County Arts and Culture Alliance and those who generously supported our collaboration once again. Art goes beyond being creative and showcasing talents – it can comfort, heal, and creates an opportunity to process feelings and reduce anxiety. Art provides the people we serve a safe outlet for an emotional release”.
In 2022, from January to June, YSS has seen a 250% increase in clients coming in for medication management. Youth are especially vulnerable as they are often unable to naturally express how they feel verbally. However, therapists at YSS can connect with their feelings more effectively through creative means. Art provides an avenue to express how they feel through color and content. The value of art – written poetry, drawn pictures, etc., often says more than the spoken word, especially those with limited language.
Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance, Amber Danielson, shared “thank you to everyone who supported this important effort. We have numerous stories of youth creating artwork while they are on their healing journey and the outcomes are stunning. We are beyond grateful to be able to continue this effort and provide creative outlets for the youth of Marshall County,” shared.
The mission of YSS is to provide prevention, education, treatment and residential services to children, youth and families; to advocate on their behalf; and to help them solve problems, grow and be self-sufficient, responsible, contributing members of society.
The Arts & Culture Alliance, a non-profit organization, was created in 2004 to cultivate a community of arts and culture by supporting, promoting and enriching existing opportunities and by seeking new possibilities. Our mission allows us to focus on enhancing the quality of life in Marshalltown by making it a place in which arts and culture thrive and our community flourishes.
For more information or questions, please us at
(641) 752-ARTS or director@artsandculturealliance.org
www.artsandculturealliance.org