Information: chopart.org
Every night in Atlanta, there are over 2,000 youth who experience homelessness. A large amount of these youth are unaccompanied, or homeless without a formal shelter organization/family. About 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LBGT and are asked to leave their homes because of their sexual orientation and other teens are homeless because of abuse, immigration laws, teen pregnancy and mental illness.
Enter ChopArt. The local nonprofit providing homeless youth with arts expression while building community engagement, lifestyle development, and art exploration locally and internationally. ChopArt works together with shelters, resource organizations, arts organizations and community members to provide a space for creativity, coping and healing for homeless youth. Most importantly, it helps them to realize that their voice matters.
For founder Malika Whitley, ChopArt came from a personal place. “I’ve grown up with and experienced homelessness alongside my peers. I knew providing arts expression and safe creative spaces for homeless teens would be valuable in Atlanta,” said Whitley.
To continue making an impact for Atlanta youth, the organization hosted its fundraiser Paint for A Cause on Oct. 18 at Dip ‘n Dab in Midtown Atlanta. Friends of ChopArt came to the art studio to paint and raise awareness about arts expression organization.
The funds from Paint for a Cause will be used towards the 2016 two-week residential arts summer camp which will place 100 homeless youth in Atlanta through a comprehensive theater, dance and music experience. This camp will be the second annual ChopArt summer camp in Atlanta and its concept was driven by the youth served by ChopArt who wanted learn more about the art media they were practicing.
Gabriel Haggray volunteered at this year’s summer camp and promotes the impact it makes on the youth. “It was amazing to see so many volunteers come together, not to save these kids, but to help them learn more about themselves,” said Haggray, who taught a dance workshop. “ChopArt’s programs teach the kids about positive ways to express themselves when they are feeling happy, sad, angry or whatever they going through.”
Volunteers make ChopArts programs successful. There’s a role for anyone who wants to be involved from leading art courses at the shelters, helping with transportation, being a part of a street team to helping with grant writing and marketing.
Through its various activities and programs, Whitley says that vision behind ChopArt is to “positively impact self efficacy and help our youth to soar in the face of trauma knowing that there’s a strong community supporting them.”
ChopArt started in Capetown, South Africa and was extended to Hyderabad, India. It was then brought to Atlanta in 2012. The organization has served over 17,000 youth since 2010.
In other news: Kaiser Permanente of Georgia donated $50,000 to Meals On Wheels Atlanta's Extra Helping and Care Management Initiative. The Extra Helping and Care Management Initiative provides supplemental nutrition, such as Boost or Ensure, to the 15 most at-risk seniors in Meals On Wheels Atlanta's program. Meals On Wheels Atlanta has been working to improve senior independence through meals, shelter, education and community.
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