In January, Community Building Art Works celebrated our 5th year. It’s been a long road, and we couldn’t have traveled it without you.
Many of you know the history of this program: In 2010 I started a job at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and what I learned there changed me profoundly. By connecting active duty service members, military families, veterans, and healthcare workers with high quality art workshops, we could give them an outlet to express their grief, and a pathway to authentic community.
In the years since, a growing body of research has shown that loneliness, social isolation, and feelings of not belonging change the brain, increasing the risks of suicide, substance misuse, heart disease, and other ‘physical’ illnesses. COVID-19 brought the crisis of isolation to light and the toll on healthcare workers, in particular, was well-documented. In response, we expanded our programs to include more members of the community while remaining true to our original mission.
With the support of our donors, we were able to add Rob Haney, as Social Media Manager to our team part-time. In addition, a long time donor gave the generous gift of funding a full-time Director of Programs position, filled by the extraordinary Ashy Palliparambil.
The growth that you’ll see below is because of the hard work and dedication of all of YOU: our facilitators, our donors, our partners, sponsors, Ashy, Rob, and our board members.
Here’s where we are, at the halfway point of 2022. We hope you feel proud of the work we do together. The impact we’ve made is great.
We could not have come this far without your support.
With immense gratitude,
Who
Over 4,000 Participants Served
As of June 30th, CBAW served 4,129 people in 118 programs, compared with 5500 participants in all of 2021.
This is who makes up our community:
What
Through workshops facilitated by exceptional professional artists who reflect the diversity of the population we serve, CBAW provides regular weekly visual art and creative writing programs, special events, and performances that are free or low cost. Here are the facilitators we hosted January-June 2022.
We also offered a wellness workshop to employees of Amazon Global Military and community members, in-person programming to medical students at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS), and participated in the Total Force Fitness Summit with military leaders at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
When
We’re there when people need us. Maintaining a consistent schedule, CBAW provides reliable programming 3-4 days a week all month long.
Where
Through word of mouth and social media, we’ve been able to reach people who otherwise might not have known about our work. Our virtual programs make it possible for participants to join us from anywhere in the world, and they do.
Global Reach
Here’s where our participants joined us from:
Social Media
Thanks to the dedicated help of Rob Haney, our social media game has changed–comparing our engagements since they started to the last six months of 2021, we saw increases of up to 430% by some measurements, but the average increase is pretty impressive too.
Do you have an online presence? Our Digital Community Builders Program unites creators from around the digital spectrum – including Instagrammers, Youtubers, streamers, and more. We are excited to build a larger community between these digital creatives under a single banner focused on our mission of communicating, collaborating, and healing through making art and fostering stronger, healthier communities.
Please check it out by clicking “What is a Digital Community Builder” above or by going to
https://cbaw.org/sponsorship/#
Help us spread the word by sharing the page!
Why
When people tell us how they feel, we believe them.
It is central to everything we do.
We regularly review participant survey responses to tune into what is resonating for our community. Since July 2020 we have received approximately 1,500 responses. Top benefits reported by respondents: Creative Outlet (95%), Improved Mood (88%), Sense of Community (86%), Social Connection (79%), Sense of Belonging (77%),and Sense of Purpose (70%).
“Research shows that if people improve their feelings of belonging, trust, and security, they are likely to be healthier. When people feel a greater connection to their community, they are more inclined to take action to improve their own health and the health of others.”
source: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
How
Donations
CBAW Programs are sustainable due to the incredible donations from individual donors.
We could not do this without our donors.
We're ready for the next phase...
…but we can’t do it without you. This community is strengthened by every voice, every facilitator, every partner and sponsor. If you haven’t joined a workshop yet, please do.
If you have a great idea for us, please share it using the contact form below.
Seema Reza is a poet and essayist and the author of two books: A Constellation of Half-Lives and When the World Breaks Open. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Writing and Community Building from Goddard College. In 2010 Seema began working with service members, veterans, and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and has since developed a unique multi-hospital arts program that encourages the use of the arts as a tool for narration, self-care and socialization. In 2015, the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore awarded Seema the Col John Gioia Patriot Award for her work with service members in military hospitals. Seema is a 2019 George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Scholar.