A local youth activities group has joined forces with Celebrating Healthy Communities to provide families with free art supplies to brighten their neighborhoods with ‘Spread Cheer, Not COVID’ posters.
THEHIVE DURANGO BARELY STARTED TO BUZZ WITH ACTIVITY WHEN IT WAS FORCEDTO CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPEDTHE NEW NON-PROFIT FROM PURSUING ITS MISSION.
YOU'REWATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY WHOLE HEALTHFAMILY MEDICINE OF DURANGO. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
THEHIVE DURANGO, A NEW YOUTH-SERVICES ORGANIZATION THAT OFFERSPASSION-BASED ACTIVITIES LIKE ART, MUSIC AND SKATEBOARDING, HAD BEENOPEN ONLY A WEEK IN EARLY MARCH WHEN IT CLOSED FOLLOWING COLORADOGOVERNOR JARED POLIS'S STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19. BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KELSIE BORLANDFROM SERVING THE YOUTH COMMUNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE HIVE HASJOINED FORCES THIS MONTH WITH CELEBRATING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES TOPROVIDE ART SUPPLIES TO 200 FAMILIES SO THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE INTHE SPREAD CHEER, NOT CORONA COMMUNITY ART PROJECT. THE EFFORT ISFOCUSED ON CREATING ARTWORK THAT UPLIFTS THE ARTISTS TO OVERCOME THEDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY THAT YOUNG PEOPLE MAY EXPERIENCE WITH THEQUARANTINE. ARTISTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO POST THEIR ARTWORK TO THEHEALTHY COMMUNITIES FACEBOOK PAGE OR TO SHARE WITH NEIGHBORS BYDISPLAYING THE ARTWORK IN THEIR WINDOWS. BORLAND INVITED FAMILIES TOFILL OUT A REQUEST FORM, AND WITH THE HELP OF COMMUNITY DONATIONS,PURCHASED MATERIALS FROM THE ART SUPPLY HOUSE TO FULFILL THEIRREQUESTS. ALL SUPPLIES ARE FREE TO FAMILIES. DELIVERIES STARTED THISWEEK.
ANDTHE COOL PART ABOUT THIS IS WE ARE, I’M GONNA FOCUS ON EACH FAMILYAND THEIR NEEDS. SO EVERY KIT IS GOING TO BE SPECIFIC TO THAT FAMILY.SO IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY FUN PUTTING THEM TOGETHER. AND WE WILL BEPUTTING THEM IN BLANK TOTE BAGS SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY ART UP THEIR OWNTOTE BAG.
ALTHOUGHTHE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS HAVE TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN THE HIVE DURANGO,IT CONTINUES TO OFFER ONLINE WORKSHOPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY'RECALLED TREAT YOURSELF TUESDAYS, AND WORKSHOPS HAVE INCLUDED COOKINGAND NUTRITION LESSONS, ART ACTIVITIES, AND SKATEBOARD PREP TO PERFORMAERIALS AND OTHER TRICKS. IN THE MEANTIME, BORLAND SAYS SHE'S EAGERTO RETURN TO WORK WITH LA PLATA COUNTY YOUTH.
IT’SMY DREAM JOB. I FEEL LIKE I AM LUCKY TO HAVE THIS COOL OF A POSITION,WHERE I GET TO DO ART AND SKATEBOARDING AND SNOWBOARDING AND ALL OFTHE THINGS THAT I LOVE TO DO, BECAUSE I AM A KID AT HEART FOREVER.AND I GREW UP IN DURANGO, AND I KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO GET BOREDHERE, BUT ALSO HOW EASY IT IS TO GET ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY WITHALL THE FUN THINGS. I LIKE TO OFFER IT TO MORE UNDERSERVED AND LOWINCOME FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY TYPICALLY DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES ORKNOW-HOW TO NAVIGATE THE RECREATION IN THE AREA. SO THAT’S REALLYMY PASSION, TO OFFER THE THINGS TO THE FAMILIES THAT DON’T HAVETHAT OPPORTUNITY.
IFYOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HIVE DURANGO, THE SPREAD CHEER NOTCORONA ART PROJECT, OR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ART SUPPLY
PROGRAM,VISIT THEHIVEDGO.ORG.
I'MWENDY GRAHAM SETTLE FOR THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.
