Many survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse end up as low income single parents. These single parents don't have ready access to child care and often need to bring their children with them wherever they go. We strive to offer fun events welcoming to both adults and children. One of our favorite activities is T-shirt painting. Last year we worked with the Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance in Cave Junction, Oregon, during a Farmer's Market to paint T-shirts with survivors and their children. Many children and adults participated with enthusiasm. If kids are happy, it is easier for Moms and Dads and Grandparents to be happy too.
The Illinois Valley Safe House Alliance supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in southern Josephine County, Oregon.
They had a community garden behind their old offices. We painted T-shirts there during a Farmer's Market taking place at the same time.
Mothers and grandmothers and children came together. Kids came alone on bicycles. Cave Junction is not a very big town after all.
We painted and painted and painted.
This Grandma is really young and good looking, but she is still a hands on grandma, always there to help with the kids.
Painting T-shirts is fun.
Art is healing.
Feel free to paint whatever you want.
I like to paint flowers.
I painted this sweatshirt in honor of my daughter who likes to call herself Sunny.
She loves the color yellow and finds the sun and sunflowers cheerful and healing.
The End.
The Goals and Objectives of this activity include:
Goal 1: To provide a healing and fun activity for survivors, family members, friends and supporters that can help identify them to each other and other members of the community as a supportive group of people concerned about ending abuse and healing the wounds.
Process Objective 1a: Ten children and adults will paint t-shirts with fun shapes or symbols that exemplify spiritual or healing through fun for survivors and their children.
Outcome Objective 1a: Ten low and middle income mothers, fathers, grandparents and children will have fun painting t-shirts and expressing themselves.
Outcome Objective 1b: Two adult survivors will be able to express feelings about being wounded and healing through art.
Process Objective 2: Seven adults and children will wear blue T-shirts with hand painted or hand drawn designs in public enabling each other and other members of the community to identify them as being concerned with ending abuse and healing the wounds.
Outcome Objective 2a: Three members of the community will ask about the t-shirts enabling adults to explain the purpose of the shirts and engage other members of the community in a safe and enlightening conversation about abuse.
© 2014 Virginia Pickles Jones
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