"Look at each person you meet as a person in progress. Then look in the mirror and see another person in progress." –Carl Rogers.

WELCOME

Thoughts from Executive Director Dan Thomas

Hello Mentors and Volunteers –
I’m excited to be able to send you a note of thanks as part of this first newsletter of the new program year. As the new Executive Director of Free Arts, I’m amazed every day by the passion and dedication of people like you. You give so generously of your time and resources. And you are the ones there time and again for the children of this community. You are the ones that know first-hand that art heals. You are the ones that make a huge difference in the challenging life of a child by being there for them, caring for them as a friend and mentor. We have a tiny staff here at Free Arts. We can do so little without people like you!

I’m grateful for your work and also anxious to experience it for myself. This fall I’m beginning work as a weekly mentor. I will be working with school age kids at Northside. This will be my chance to see firsthand what a difference we make in a child’s life. I look forward to experiencing that. And I also look forward to someday meeting and thanking each one of you!

Finally, you help us in so many ways. And this fall, we need your help more than ever. You may know that Free Arts has lost staff due to the tough economy. At the beginning of this year, there were seven of us. We are a mighty staff of four right now! And this fall we have some tremendous opportunities to turn things around financially – if we can pull it all off. We have five events in November. And we need extra help for them. Please consider helping us out with your time by volunteering at one of them. We also need help selling tickets for a wonderful benefit concert at the Guthrie on November 15. Every dollar of every ticket we sell is our to keep. Help us sell those tickets! And don’t forget our fundraiser breakfast on November 10. It’s a wonderful way to introduce people to what we do. Invite your friends and work colleagues.

Thanks again for all that you do. You are our greatest resource -- the engine that makes it possible for Free Arts to do its work!

Dan

BIg Thanks!

The reviews are in and the volunteer taining was a HUGE success! We'd like to offer a big thanks to our Free Arts interns; Julia, Sarah, Kat, Rebecca and Haley for helping us set up a great day. Also, thank you to Courtney and Jill of our Mentor-to-Mentor committee for helping us learn about how to talk about Free Arts. Last, but certainly not least, Amber and Alanna deserve an enthusiastic round of appluase from us for leading the theater games!

Mentor TIPs

Organize, organize, organize! Have your project leader schedule set as far in advance as possible. Send your facility staff a calendar of projects, if possible.

Make rituals a priority. Start and end your group the same way each session. For example, at the end of each session, go around the circle and have each kids say one word about their Free Arts session.

Be goofy and childlike. Laugh with the kids and enjoy yourself!

Support your mentor teammates by being enthusiastic about their projects. Remember, the more you get into the project, the more likely the kids will get into the project.

Keep in touch with Free Arts staff. Our doors are always open to you if you're looking for support, or if you want to share a story about your experience. We want to hear from you!