March 18, 2014

Applewood Helps Give the Gift of Artistic Freedom

Power can be a beautiful and ugly thing at the same time. When used in the right way, helping others find their inner power can be a therapeutic way of improving struggling youth in our community. Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric is thrilled to name “Arts from Ashes” as the recipient of $1000 as part of their monthly “Caring Community Giveaway.”

“We each overcome challenges in different ways and if Applewood can help one person do that through our support of programs like Art from Ashes, then we have made our community just that much better,” said John Ward, president of Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric.

Arts from Ashes was founded in 2003 by Catherine O’Neill Thorn with the goal of approaching youth with a safe space that  respects youth’s past and creative genius. Thorn said, “I want to respect the power of each young person by being a facilitator to their healing process, not as a teacher,” when explaining the inspiration for founding Arts from Ashes.

By offering weekly programs for youth, participants learn to use language to find their power to release themselves and remove barriers created by abuse, neglect, drug addiction, societal abandonment or other struggles. The programs are not therapy, but are therapeutic by providing youth with growth in personal expression, connection and transformation. Arts from Ashes offers four creative healing programs for youth and reaches adults with its newest program, a creative growth program for business professionals.

Arts from Ashes is constantly growing, which means that costs are growing as well. Thorn says that outreach efforts are being restrained by budgets and without business support, like this gift from Applewood, their outreach efforts would only be able to reach 20 percent of struggling youth.

To date, the Arts from Ashes program has worked with more than 7,000 youth, and continues to grow. Thorn acknowledges that through the growth of the program she has seen, “beautiful artwork rise out of ashes of despair.”  Applewood is thrilled to be able to help an organization dedicated to helping youth through creative and effective methods.