YOUTH PROFILE: FROM ASHES to ON FIRE! |
"Everyone is an amazing poet; they just need to find it within themselves." ---Shyla, 17
Shyla joined the Art from Ashes workshops while in residential treatment a little over a year ago. She has since starred as a youth performer at events, and is now an intern.
Confused about life
Mixed emotions left and right
Tell me what it would be like
To live a normal life
Outside of the system
Being able to be with loved ones
And having not to worry
about the foster home...
Read the rest of Shyla's poetry and check out her interview!
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LOVE THEM ROCKIES!
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And we've got great tix!
If you love baseball as much as we do, get your tickets now for the Sept. 16 game against the 2010 National Champions San Francisco Giants. It's at the end of the season and it's Fan Appreciation Fireworks night! Your purchase helps support AfA, you get to watch a great game, and you get to watch FIREWORKS FROM THE FIELD AFTER THE GAME!
Tickets are $38, section 149 (left field), rows 18-23. Gates A and E will open 2 hours prior to game time for those who wish to view batting practice between Sections 148-160.
Click here to reserve the best seats!
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DYLAN THOMAS SOCIETY! Rarefied air... | The Dylan Thomas Society was founded by AfA board member and attorney Mark Bell to support the struggling youth in our community and the power of the word. Members give with courage and commitment, and enjoy multiple benefits, not the least of which is a knowledge that their funding is doing a world of good. 
Membership starts with a donation of $1,000 a year. Please contact Mark Bell for additional information or read more on our website. |
Community Poetry Library
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Have you ever dreamed of a place where you could discover new poets, fall in love with old and new poems, and connect with other poetry lovers? We have, too. That's why Art from Ashes is developing a Community Poetry Library at our Inca Street location.
In January, 2011, AfA received more than 400 poetry books from an anonymous donor. Additional donations are trickling in, but we still need bookshelves, funds, CDs and more books.
For more information contact our own inimitable Tameca Coleman at tameca.coleman@gmail.com or call 720-375-2198.
For news updates, and more, please check out our blog:
To watch the poetry library grow, check out our Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/home/ArtfromAshes
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PLANT THE SEED...
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At Art from Ashes, we help young people feel heard, develop a sense of self, and relate to others, so that they can create a positive future for themselves and their communities. We believe in magic and miracles, because we witness it every day in the powerful words of our youth. Please consider supporting our poetry programs with a tax-deductible donation.
· $2,000 supports a year's worth of weekly 2-hour workshops for a struggling young person.
· $1,400 provides one-month's rent (ooh, if 12 people did that...)
· $250 allows us to publish the youth poems from one 8-week session.
· $100 purchases writing materials for two workshops.
· $35 allows us to bring in one guest poet/artist to inspire and encourage the youth in our programs.
And of course, any amount you give from a place of joy gives to all of us, yourself included.
Don't forget to GoodSearch!
Free toolbar alerts you to coupons and your donation amount for every online store you visit.
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Greetings!
Together we were able to change the world a little...
or at least our corner of the world (which is getting bigger), by providing expression, connection and transformation in 2010 through more than 300 workshops with 2,500 participating youth! And that doesn't include the adult workshops with more than 100 participants. We're pretty proud. And so grateful to you...
Every morning those of us in the office gather to express gratitude for the opportunity to touch the lives of today's youth. We are thankful for the beautiful words they share and we are thankful for you -- because we know we couldn't do this amazing, inspiring, fulfilling work without your generous donations of time and money. Of course, we want to do more! Every choice we make and every move we make (I think I've heard that somewhere before...) is for the express purpose of reaching more youth with our transformational programs. This year we have even bigger plans: Check out our News page for 2011 at a Glance and please consider sponsoring some youth workshops or a young person's journey; making a one-time or a monthly donation through GivingFirst; joining the Dylan Thomas Society; attending an adult workshop; volunteering; and/or attending events. All of us are profoundly grateful for the joy we find in giving -- for you, for AfA, and mostly for the youth we serve -- and that the greatest gift we can give is to help these young geniuses recognize the beauty and power they possess.
Blessings,
YOU ALSO CAN DONATE TO ART FROM ASHES BY SUPPORTING ME IN THE COLFAX MARATHON! IF I RAISE $500 ONLINE, I'VE PROMISED TO RUN IN A TUTU! click here
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GET GOIN' & SUPPORT THE YOUTH
and you can even get childish with some of us!
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walked Colfax [right?!], but now you can run it to support Art from Ashes! Last year, eight runners raised $3,000 to support our youth programs through the Colfax Marathon charity partnership program. This year we are looking for more runners to raise even more money and have even more fun. How far is a marathon? Hey, it's only 26.2 miles (and if you've ever done one, you know that the point 2 counts!). For those who aren't quite crazy enough -- I mean, ready enough -- to run a full marathon, you can choose the 5K, half marathon, or marathon relay. And even though it's less than 2 weeks away, we'll bet you're in fantastic shape and don't even need to train!
Okay, but if you would rather not run, you still can help. Yup. It's a fundraiser. And some of us are running in tutus to raise money (okay, in Catherine's case, she insists she will be trotting in a tutu)!
TO DONATE 1. Go to our EVENTS page and select a person to give to. 2. or go to GivingFirst and give indiscriminately!
TO RUN 1. Register at coloradocolfaxmarathon.org and select Art from Ashes as your charity partner. 2. Susie Martin will contact you with fundraising materials and information [or you can download them here]. 3. Start raising money, and logging those miles for an awesome cause!
Please contact Susie Martin directly with any questions: susie@artfromashes.org
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GIVE IT UP FOR SHOW UP! SHOUT OUT!
|  "It gets better." That's what we keep saying to today's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) youth. But is it enough? We can take it at least one step farther. We can all show up for GLBT youth by funding transformational programs to this often "invisible" population. With your help, our work with GLBT youth can encourage the internal resources necessary to becoming fully empowered, engaged, and productive members of our community. The Show Up! Shout Out! project is a collaboration between Rainbow Alley, Art from Ashes, and the Colorado business community. It was started by Director of Operations Marie Verrett to provide visibility and voice to our community's GLBT youth through the Phoenix Rising transformational poetry and spoken word workshops. READ MORE... or DONATE RIGHT NOW! |
YOUTH INTERN EXTRAORDINAIRE!
| Our amazing and beautiful Amanda Prince has been a Safe City intern with Art from Ashes for 3 years. She graduates this year from CEC Middle College of Denver and has just been named a 2011 Daniels Scholar
to receive funding to attend the college or university of her choice. This honor is given annually to high school seniors who have demonstrated strong character and a determination to succeed in life... that's certainly our Amanda, who has over the years become an integral part of our agency. Not only has she written beautiful poetry in our workshops, she is now the assistant to our Phoenix Rising program manager. Amanda also wrote a beautiful essay about the impact Art from Ashes has had on her life. Read more here |
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UPCOMING ADULT WORKSHOPS IN MAY
 | All levels of writers (including those who think they are not) are welcome!
 Art from Ashes uses the latest research in left-brain / right-brain functioning and the role of creativity in transformation to encourage participants to access the creative subconscious. The process is designed to allow participants to recognize their inherent creative power and how perception affects our identity and our reality. INTRODUCTORY starts May 14 Mondays from 6 to 7.15 pm (skipping Memorial Day) until June 27 $175 payment due by May 14 :: check, cash or pay online with PayPal
INTERMEDIATE (participants must have completed the Introductory Session) starts May 18
SYNESTHESIA :: the power of perception
:: Wednesdays from 6 to 7.15 pm until June 22 $175 payment due by May 16 :: check, cash or pay online with PayPal
NEW ADULT AFTERNOON FORUM :: Saturday, May 28 from 1 to 5.30 pm with a half-hour break at 3 pm $125 payment due by May 24 :: check, cash or pay online with PayPal
You also can purchase a GIFT CERTIFICATE for someone you love. We'll send the invitation through email or mail at your direction (just let us know the details through PayPal): click here
And check out our new friend at 855 Inca :: Valerie Valentine Art Studio! Try Valerie's FREE drop-in workshop every Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm |
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