One can imagine when someone is incarcerated, they may feel discarded, forgotten and outside of the community, like no one cares.
When Art for the Journey provides art for women at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women, we enter from outside the gates and directly from the community into the prison where we visit and offer hope, kindness and, through art instruction, opportunities for creative expression. Perhaps even a “voice” through painting with color and light, to promote a feeling of well-being and healing.
This work is made possible largely through the generosity of church outreach and compassion from the greater community.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church has supported our programs such as the prison and LighthouseRVA programs with a gift of $1,500 through the Women of St. Stephen’s fund. The church is also supportive through the cafe managed by a compassionate manager, Robyn Rider. Last month, an art exhibit highlighting the work of children in our Anna Julia Cooper School art room along with older adults who participate in our Marywood Senior Apartments program and our St. Mary’s Woods OMA art program was exhibited in the cafe at St. Stephen’s. A reception for the artists and friends included a tour of the historic church for everyone in attendance.
Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church awarded Art for the Journey $2,500 in Project Grant funds to support our LighthouseRVA program promoting well-being to women in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.
Recently, Cindy Paullin, CEO and Lauren Paullin, Director of Youth Programs, visited Grace and Holy Trinity Church to share our work with some of the parishioners. On display was a wonderful large scale map of the outreach provided through their ministries to organizations who support many communities in need throughout our region. We were honored to share the story of Art for the Journey along with representatives from the Circle Center Adult Day services and Boaz and Ruth in Richmond.
Art for the Journey remains grateful to area churches whose outreach goes beyond the walls of the church, out into the community, even all the way into prison, to reach the most needy, the most isolated, and those in need of positive mental health, togetherness, and hope.
