Proviso

Memory Bracelet Workshop

Yekseny returned last Wednesday to lead our neighbors through another art therapy workshop! This time, we made memory bracelets. These bracelets are intended to help grief a loved one, or even an event. They are special because you can wear it and think of that time or person! We loved connecting with our neighbors for another relaxing evening at TFD!

Proviso East Calm Room

Liz, our Program Assistant at TFD, visited Proviso East High School’s Calm Room to put together an activity for the students. Loyola Medicine designed the Calm Room for students to visit during lunchtime as an alternative. Here, students can have an intentionally safe place.

This week, Liz brought painting supplies designed by Dana of I Paint on Purpose for the students to get creative!

Healing Circle Training

Over the last two weeks, the team and community members were invited to restorative justice training. Specifically, Andrew Hong of We Each Belong, trained the team in how to lead healing circles, which is a native practice built on restorative justice. Over 4 days, the team got to know each other on a deeper level, creating a circle, and then started to dream what their own independent circles would look like in the future.

We see how impactful circles can be for our community members. This practice was built on the idea that healing can be achieved through conversation, but most importantly, listening. We can’t wait to see how circle will grow in the Proviso community!

Thank you, Andrew, for creating a safe environment for the team! We appreciate your wisdom and kindness.

Self Esteem in Clay

This week, we held an art therapy workshop with Yekseny Guerrero of Leyden Family Services. The session focused on how we can build esteem by amplifying our creativity. TFD and Yekseny believe that everyone is a creative in their own unique way! Our Proviso neighbors showed up and did just that. The clay was intentionally placed out with colors and tools to help the participants make something they believed represented them but as a vessel to remind them of their own self-confidence.

Thank you Yekseny for leading an amazing workshop! We are so grateful to those who participated. Join us for another art therapy with Yekseny November 6th from 6:30PM to 8PM where participants will create Identity Collages!

Proviso West Mental Health Kit Giveaway

The TFD Team visited Proviso West High School to give away more mental health kits! This was our second giveaway for the fall semester. We are so excited to give away kits to new and returning students. Overall, we gave away 107 kits to Proviso West students. Our running number is 2,290 kits given away to Proviso students!