Beauty, art and creativity are a critically dynamic element in the elevation of those with broken spirits.
One of the most frequent comments about the Orange County Rescue Mission’s campuses is how tastefully picturesque they are. We intentionally design our programs around state of the art aesthetics. The Ahmanson Family has even played a generous role in outfitting our facilities with an exquisite art collection. I don’t mention that to brag about our pretty walls, but to emphasize how important it is to surround what we refer to as ‘the least, the last and the lost’ with a fundamental component of life that many of them have been denied.
The men, women and children who have fallen through the safety net of society are disregarded, left by the wayside and end up on the streets. It is our goal to restore them to life, purpose and productive destiny. Taking them out of the shady nooks, crannies and forgotten corners of the city and placing them in an environment of elegance and class allows them to aspire to a higher level of existence for themselves and their future children.
I open up this conversation because other like-minded agencies and partners are fighting to keep the arts in the hands of disadvantaged families and kids as well. One of these unique organizations is our partner Art & Creativity for Healing Inc.
Art & Creativity for Healing Inc. shares art as a tool for self-expression and self-exploration, using a self-reflective, guided and structured processes. This artistic group regularly donates art supplies in these inventive boxes and gets them in the hands of our children at the Orange County Rescue Mission.
Art & Creativity for Healing also offers fine art classes and workshops that address the emotional and social aspects of abuse, illness, war, grief or stress via the language of color and painting in order to provide encouragement and motivation for individuals living with in these circumstances at our Village of Hope.
I want to personally thank our friends at Art & Creativity for Healing for encouraging creativity in our children and partnering with us along the journey of not only bringing men, women and children off the streets, but walking them down the path of healing and wholeness.
For more photos of Art & Creativity for Healing’s most recent visit to the Orange County Rescue Mission, click here.
You can add to the beauty of restoration and changed lives at the Orange County Rescue Mission by donating here.
