November: Letter From The Executive Director
Dear Friends and Supporters of We Care Arts:
As we step into the chilly month of November, I can’t help but feel warmed by a profound sense of gratitude and enthusiasm as we celebrate the remarkable journey of We Care Arts over the past four decades. It’s incredible to reflect on our humble beginnings in 1983 when we first embarked on our mission to use art as a catalyst for teaching essential life skills to domestic abusers who were chronically unemployed. Little did we know that our founders’ passion and our mission would evolve into such a transformative force, empowering healing in the lives of countless people living with developmental disabilities, addiction, and mental health issues.
While I could tell you about our many milestones across the years, I would rather share with you a story. that happened just last week that in my mind is a perfect example of the impact of your support. During Halloween Week, I was visiting classes to say hello and check-out all the fun costumes that our artist-clients had on. In one class there was a person that I have known for a year now. Many times, we have recited their “scripts” that they are comfortable saying. It is important to let this person have their opportunity to be heard but always “on-script.” Last week though something wonderful happened. This person broke script. They asked me to look at their artwork and pointed to the details they had done. They mentioned the music playing in the room and shared that they are very good at singing and dancing. Next thing I knew we were up and dancing in Zone 2 and a few others had joined us! This was truly a magical moment that never could have happened without the 40 years of dedication and vision of Terry Schalnat, our instructors, volunteers, and all our donors. I have said it before and will say it again, we truly “dance” on the shoulders of the giants who came before us.
This month, if you haven’t already, I hope that you will join us on our Facebook page as we celebrate our rich history through captivating pictures and inspiring stories from individuals who have been a part of our journey. And don’t just let us have all the fun. . . we look forward to seeing YOUR posts and YOUR pictures from the last 40 years. I cannot wait for us to reminisce together about the moments that have shaped our We Care Arts community and celebrate the incredible transformations that your on-going support has made possible!
Last but not least, as you will hear a lot about this month, we have an amazing Giving Tuesday Challenge Grant from the Charles D. Berry Foundation. For every single dollar you donate to our Giving Tuesday Campaign up to $5,000 the Charles D. Berry Foundation will match it. This means that your $40 becomes $80, your $150 quickly becomes $300, and your $750 becomes $1500 which helps cover the costs for filling one seat at We Care Arts for one whole year! Can you believe it? Together you and the Charles D. Berry Foundation are going to be a powerful force for good at We Care Arts.
With all said, please stay tuned for more updates as we embark, sing, dance, and gratefully celebrate our way through November to highlight this remarkable milestone!
Thank you in advance for all your support this November.
Gratefully yours,
Katie
Katie Neubert
Executive Director
PS. Please save the date for January 25th, 2024 from 12-1PM for our first annual StakeHolders Town Hall Open House. This will be an opportunity for artist-clients, their teams, community supporters, and donors to come together to reflect on 2023 and get an insiders sneak peek at the plans for 2024!