Becoming a mother at 46 and the adventure of having a baby unicorn!

Friday, September 14, 2012

13,000 homeless kids in San Diego last year.

This number is shocking to me.  I found this out when I had a meeting at San Diego Youth Services (SYDS).  This means that throughout 2011 13,000 kids came though their system.  Some live in group homes, some get placed with Foster Parents, but they are all AT RISK.

I met with the CEO and Program Director of SDYS last week to discuss hosting art classes for the at risk youth that they serve.  I want to get programs going even before we open the art center. This will not be the only group that benefits from the Art Center.  There will be many others and we plan to use technology to be able to reach anyone anywhere!

This is how I see it:

If you don't have a Mom or Dad, who is taking photos of you and documenting your life?

I want to do "About Me" pages/art with these kids.  They can come to the Charity Wings Art Center and we can take their photo and print it if they like, then guide them through an "About Me" creative project.

Here is my "About Me" page today...



I think ideally it would be something like a scrapbook/art journal page/canvas, something like that.  But I really want it to be something that they might keep through their life journey and be able to look back on when they are older.

Who knows what talent a child might discover if they just have the opportunity.

or what skill they might find for coping with the life they are living today.

But ultimately, i hope it will be something that they keep through their life journey and be able to look back on when they are older.  I hope they will remember who they were today.

We learn so much when we look at where we came from.  It reminds us how strong and resilient we really are.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHARITY WINGS ART CENTER AND WHAT IT IS HERE 

4 comments:

Dawnll said...

I just love,love,love that you are going to do this...I have spent a long time working with these children and they need all the attention they can get.
YOUR THE BEST SWEETIE

Unknown said...

Working with these at-risk kids is a great idea. However, if they're truly homeless, that page needs to be part of something. It needs to be in a book or something small so they CAN take it with them. Someone who carries all of their possessions with them isn't going to lug around a canvas or one scrapbook page. Something like a canvas bag or a t-shirt would possibly be more appealing to them. Even using a photo would still be possible, they make printable fabrics.

Elena Lai Etcheverry said...

Thanks Goog. The idea is to have it be in a book. Like an art journal. Its not a unique idea I know...so we have been researching other programs and we will be doing lots of different kinds of art so they will have choices of what they want yo explore. I can't wait to get the program up ans running and the art center open..!

Elena Lai Etcheverry said...

It takes a village!Hugs dawn!