Finding a Voice
Imagine being a young child who's experienced trauma — but has no way to give voice to it. With that in mind, we've provided nearly $100,000 in grant funding to Omaha-based Project Harmony to develop an Expressive Arts Therapy program over the last two years.
The program helps children who struggle to articulate their trauma by providing alternative means of communication through mediums such as paint or clay. Project Harmony therapists encourage children to write down their feelings or draw pictures. They also teach simple coping skills — deep breathing, counting, and positive affirmations — to help the kids manage anxiety.
After several group sessions, a young girl who'd been holding in her fears and anxiety broke down in tears. For the first time, she began to share fears and feelings about starting middle school and being able to make friends.
She found her voice.
Our grant has allowed Project Harmony to train more than 20 therapists and offer 35 Expressive Arts groups in local schools, reaching more than 600 children. This story also appears in our 2022 annual report.