Free Arts builds resilience in kids affected by trauma
In 1993, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona was created by art therapist Margaret Beresford.
There was zero funding to start the program, but Beresford understood that art can be used to bridge the gaps in services for children who have experienced trauma. Today, the group serves an average of 7,000 children a year.
Many come from foster care, homeless and domestic-violence shelters, group homes and treatment centers. The children are often separated from their families because of unsafe living conditions. Curriculum promotes safety, self-expression, life skills and selfconfidence, all aimed at increasing resilience.
“I am incredibly proud of how much Free Arts has grown. It has become a hub for trauma-informed care and the arts, which is exactly what I dreamed it would be,” Beresford said.
Last year, Free Arts received a $7,500 grant from the Arizona Republic-sponsored Season for Sharing. In total, $2.1 million went to 176 organizations that help children and families, teachers and students and older Arizonans. This year’s fundraising campaign kicks off Sunday, Nov. 14.
What is your organization’s mission? To transform children’s trauma to resilience through the arts.
We envision a state where every child who has experienced abuse, neglect or homelessness has access to resilience-building arts programs and caring adult mentors.
What services does your organization provide? Five programs deliver our services to children who live in out-of-home care. Among them:
In the weekly mentor program, volunteer mentors build relationships with children by leading them in intentional artmaking for eight to 16 weeks.
In the camp series, mentors and teaching artists encourage children to explore their personal stories.
The professional artist series allows professional teaching artists to teach a specific art form, culminating in a final exhibition.
How do you gauge success? Programs are considered successful when at least 80% of children demonstrate these outcomes: building meaningful relationships with adults, overcoming obstacles, creating a sense of belonging, leading their peers and learning a new skill.
What are your organization’s greatest needs? To recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our programs are most successful delivered in person, and the quarantine has limited our access.
What is the vision for your organization? Free Arts has set a 10-year vision to be recognized as the leader for resilience through the arts, to offer statewide programs and to develop a national presence while maintaining opportunities for our alumni. We are in our 27th year and focused on optimizing resources, expansion, growing our funding and building partnerships.
Can you share a success story? Rica, a Free Arts alumni, is a gifted writer and will be attending Arizona State University to pursue a degree in creative writing as a Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholar. The scholars program provides support for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford college.
“During the COVID-19 quarantine, Free Arts substituted weekly studio hours with weekly calls for alumni and our mentors to stay in touch, and that has been a great support. While artmaking can have a deep meaning behind it, it doesn’t always have to. Sometimes it’s just fun and relaxing,” Rica said.
Four ways to give to Season for Sharing
The Arizona Republic pays all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go back to the community.
Fill out the secure, online form at sharing.azcentral.com.
Text “SHARING” to 91-999 and click on the link in the text message.
Go online at facebook.com/seasonforsharing and look for the “DONATE HERE” post.
Clip the coupon on Page 4A of The Arizona Republic, fill it out and mail it to P.O. Box 29250, Phoenix AZ 85038-9250.
Republic reporter Roxanne De La Rosa covers Arizona’s nonprofit community. Reach her at rdelarosa@azcentral.com.