For veterans, art-making is a powerfully healing experience. On the morning of Thursday, October 1st, Art For the Journey held a veterans event at the Ken Wright Memorial Wing. The warm personal engagement from our dedicated volunteers engages them and helps facilitate a sense of well-being and peace, a respite from emotional pain and isolation.
Of course, we prioritize the safety of our participants and volunteers! We are always very careful to follow CDC guidelines and had social distancing, sanitizing, and PPE in place throughout the event. Our wonderful volunteers and veterans were very excited to have a safeguarded art event to spend time together safely.
The opportunity for veterans and volunteers to connect with each other again is incredibly valuable, especially when they are bonding over the art-making process. We are thrilled to have welcomed some new participants and got to see a completely different view of their experiences. It was also wonderful to see how many women were engaged in the veteran's group program at this event!
Making art helps veterans to process their experiences with PTSD and other combat-related illnesses. Especially during the distancing guidelines over the last few months, veterans experience more isolation than usual; our program provides a much-needed source of joy and connection. We encourage you to take a look at this video of veterans engaged in the art-making process at our event!
Volunteers' time, talent, and patience make a big impact on veterans letting their walls down and leaving all their fears and anxiety outside. It is a privilege to feel the warmth and happiness that they all display during our time together. If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about our programs, visit our homepage to find out more.
