for the group to focus on. “We create sessions to mirror the partner organizations mission,” says Steffani.
All Hope at Hand sessions have a similar
format, but each session is tailored to the group’s specific needs. Te beginning of each session starts off with a grounding activity and sharing of a poem. Ten, participants write a
poem similar to the one shared at the beginning. Afterwards, participants work on an art activity and then copy the poem they wrote onto the artwork. Types of artwork can vary from water color paintings to collages. “All of our groups leave with a product at the end of each session,” explains Steffani. “Te art celebrates the writing, that’s why we use the art.” During these sessions, participants are encouraged to share their poems with each other.
One of the key aspects about Hope at Hand is that the
facilitators earn the students’ trust. “We work with a lot of children and teens who don’t trust adults. So, we create this safe environment from the very beginning to build trust between the facilitator and the students.” For one participant, Hope at Hand has allowed her to let her guard down and trust others, though it was difficult for her to open up at first. “Going through what I had to go through…the only person I could trust was myself, and then [Steffani] gave me that push…a little bit of inspiration to still believe in people.”
Once the students develop a trust for the facilitator, they can
open up to them on a deeper level. “Tey write from the heart, they write with sincerity, they write to get it out of the body, and you get it on paper and it’s a little easier to process. Tey share with each other freely,” says Steffani.
Hope at Hand’s most recent project is providing sessions for
the Noble School, a school for children with learning disorders including dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, autism, and Asperger’s syndrome. Like all Hope at Hand sessions, the sessions provided at the Noble School will work toward strengthening the students’ communication and social skills while building their self-esteem.
Hope at Hand is always looking for poems and song lyrics to
use in their sessions that have a positive and uplifting message. If you would like to submit poems or song lyrics, or to learn more about Hope at Hand, visit
hopeathand.org or
facebook.com/hahinc.
14 | Family!
HERITAGE PUBLISHING, INC. © 2014
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