November 5, 2008, 2:30 pm

We just returned from Hollywood, CA, where Casey Family Programs hosted their 6th annual conference for over 700 participants (youth in foster care, alumni, caregivers, practitioners, and advocates). The framework for the conference was to guide preparation for adulthood services for youth aging out of the foster care system. Art with Heart’s presentation was led by mental health therapist Annie McCall, MA, LMHC. Her dynamic and practical session gave kids a chance to do some hands-on writing and reflecting. After doing the second activity from Chill & Spill, kids were excited to share what they noticed.

Hands went up left and right and comments ranged from, “Wow…I am more creative in C&S than I am in my Creative Writing class…” to “I was surprised to see that I was more honest with myself in this journal than I ever have been before.” One of the young women in the audience, Chantell, stood up and shared how she has been using C&S with her social worker over the past 3 months and has seen a difference in her relationships and attitudes. Another teen shared, “As a foster care youth, I am constantly bombarded with really hard things that I constantly have to swallow down. I never have a chance to really examine how they all build up and affect my attitude. This workshop and this book have really helped me realize that I have a lot of things I need to pay attention to.”

A Casey social worker came up to us after the workshop and shared, “I have been so busy helping all the kids that doing this really helped me realize that I have been neglecting my own emotional needs.” And in casual conversation, we asked teens standing in line at a Starbucks what they thought of the conference. “We love it. It’s been really helpful…especially this one workshop we we went. They gave us a book called Chill & Spill.” When asked what made this workshop so special, they replied, “This one was very interactive and hands-on and we learned alot about ourselves. It was awesome!”

November 3, 2008, 1:54 pm

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with actress Josie Bissett (best known for her role on “Melrose Place”), who expressed interest in getting involved. Despite her hectic filming and parenting schedule, she is starting out by donating a portion of the proceeds of her children’s book, Tickle Monster, to help children through AwH’s programs. She has also recommended Art with Heart’s books on her website and has chosen Art with Heart as one of two charities close to her heart. We are thrilled to have this local Northwest native’s support!