Collaborating to Create Connections
Danielle John and her husband, Dominic, decided last year that they wanted to foster a child through our Resource Family program and were approved to do so before the pandemic hit. Danielle was already volunteering her artistic skills at Youth Homes, meeting once a week to teach kids in the Residential and TAY programs.
“My husband and I talked about how now it’s so much more apparent than ever that there is a really big divide and it’s hard to know where to help and how to help,” Danielle said. “Dropping off blankets and tins of food wasn't enough and we were seeking a way to make a real difference to someone's life.” When that plan was put on hold, the Johns pivoted to another way they could support the kids and young adults of Youth Homes. “Instead of bringing a child into our lives, we thought, ‘What can we do to help all of them?’, Milly said.
Jessica Lo, a Youth Homes art therapist and clinician, and Natalie Gallo, a substance abuse clinician, became the go-betweens picking up materials from the Johns and bringing them to kids in the residential program or TAY. Milly started a website to share the different projects they work on and every week Milly and Danielle put together the individualized packets shown on-site for each amateur artist to work on. Each package is carefully wrapped and labeled with a name. It’s a gift meant for the young person and not a random donation left in a collection bin by well-meaning people who have no idea who the recipient will be. Danielle and Milly know who these young people are and want to connect with them.
“The kids really appreciate the care and detail that Milly puts into each project because they’re all personalized,” Gallo said. “There are details that make them look pretty and inviting.”
The collaboration has been going on for about 10 weeks and the Johns and their Youth Homes artists have worked on clay, dreamcatchers, growing succulents and papier mache masks. Along the way they’ve gotten more Youth Homes clients involved.
“With the art projects we have at least four new clients who I haven’t met before who have been interested and I’ve been able to develop a relationship with them due to their primary clinician, Bianca (Lieb, a clinician with Youth Homes),” Gallo said. “She is amazing at getting her clients involved in these projects.”
One of the most popular projects has been ceramics. The Johns have a kiln and Youth Homes’ residential program just received a pottery wheel. The Johns sent clay to their students to create things like plates or small animals, and then it was brought back to be fired. The unfinished pottery, called bisqueware, is then glazed and fired again.
“It comes back shiny and beautiful and usable,” Danielle said. “Our whole world that we live in now is such instant gratification. Pottery is a process and it’s so rewarding.”
Lo has seen a great benefit for the kids in the residential program she works with, and even other staff members, when they worked with the clay. She described it as “healing”. “What was really awesome is that one of our kids created a lot of little plates in our backyard with another resident with the materials that Danielle provided,” Lo said. “(Danielle) baked them and brought them back. It was me, him and two of our counselors and we laid out this blanket on the grass, we were playing music and painting things he created. It was this beautiful moment.”
It’s an experience that is equally rewarding for Milly and her mother.
“I really like when Natalie brings the clay back to us and we get to see what the kids have created,” Milly said. “They’re all so unique and different and their own masterpieces. I get to see them when they’re all done and shiny. That’s one of my favorites.”
Lo works with the residential kids on the projects while the TAY are instructed by Danielle and Milly via Zoom. Typically, Gallo said, it’s tough to consistently engage young people who have transitioned out of homes. COVID has worsened some depressive symptoms and been a problem for young people already struggling with mental illness.
“I like the different activities we get to do, I haven’t painted in a long time and I am excited”, said one of our TAY clients. “I also like that we get to do the groups from home.”
Gallo gave credit to Danielle and Milly for helping to create a fun atmosphere that TAY wanted to join. She recalled one Zoom meeting when two TAY clients saw each other on the call after not seeing each other for a long time and they were able to reconnect. More than any art creation, those moments were what Milly hoped to see. “It brings me joy when I see the kids are engaged and having fun. I feel like I’m so lucky, so why can’t I share that with other people? I like to put my work toward bringing good to others.”
The partnership between the Johns and Youth Homes won’t end when shelter in place orders are lifted and the world slowly spins back up to normal. “I would love that when we can get back out and about again it would be amazing to have an art show,” Danielle said. “There are pottery galleries in Richmond that would be thrilled to display work by the kids.”
