Peacelove Foundation

1. Creators to date, we have trained 246 creators (frontline professionals) to deliver 8519 workshops. Our trained creators have touched over 100,000 individuals, across 31 states in the us and 2 canadian provinces, with our life-changing creative activities. Through 14 years of offering our programs to people of every age and walk of life, we've discovered a universal truth: there's magic in the making. Making stuff helps people feel better. Despite the continued challenges presented by covid, our creators were able to deliver 521 workshops impacting over 3,963 individuals. 2. Virtual trainings and workshops guided by our values, and the unprecedented need, we continued to challenge ourselves to improve access for all. Through virtual and in-person trainings we were also able to grow our creators network by 65 passionate, front line professionals. We were also able to impact 2, 416 new participants through in-person and/or virtual workshops whom otherwise would not have had access to our programs. Impact stories story 1. "when everything changed." I have recently been working with a 17 year old who ended up having a 4 month hospital stay. Due to her chronic diagnosis, she had to have hour long treatments 3-4 times a day. One day, i introduced Peacelove to her. Of course, i started with creative calisthenics. Well, that moment changed everything for her. She found that she absolutely loved painting (and other art too, but painting was her favorite) and that it helped her cope with the long lonely days in the hospital. She was also adopted and her parents worked during the day... aside from the fact that it was almost an hour drive to and from her house. Each day, she began painting canvas after canvas. We would talk about her inspiration behind each one. There was one of her lungs filled with flowers that she called "bad things can be beautiful- and another of flowers that she called "looking through a window" sharing that she spends her days looking out the window while life continues for everyone outside. She painted me a tree that she called "helping me to grow- and said that i helped her to grow and cope with her emotions through art. She ended up with over 25 canvases that she had painted during the last few weeks of her stay. I suggested an art show where she could leave her room and we could share her art with the staff and other families. We took down all of the paintings that had been in a hallway near the playroom. The carpenters and painters repainted it and hung her framed pictures to look like an art gallery. We got a red carpet, up-lighting, and a candy bar with all of her favorite treats. The hospital media attended and she spent 2-3 hours talking to everyone who came to visit about her artwork and what inspired her to start painting. I'm sure you can guess. It all started with Peacelove. Having the art show gave her something to be happy about. It gave her something to look forward to. It helped her pass the time while stuck in the hospital. It made her proud and accomplished. It helped her to cope with her illness and prognosis. I honestly can't thank you enough for continuing to share the workshops. For continuing to expand through the pandemic. For giving frontline professionals, like me, the tools to cope and help our clients to cope. I hope these stories help others understand the impact of the creators program. You make a difference and i am so thankful for each and every one of you traci aoki-tan, ccls, ctrs, cpsti child life specialist kaiser permanente roseville story 2 this was my very first workshop. I had 9 female inmates that came to the workshop. I was so nervous and all i wanted to do was make sure they felt like they were in a safe place to share and open up and that i explained the process of the class correctly so they could get everything they could out of it. These female inmates don't have any classes or programs offered to them like the male inmates. They were so grateful and really took this workshop seriously. They openly and honestly shared their emotions and i will never ever forget that feeling. While we were doing the sharing portion, each inmate felt safe to share and they all opened up in some way stating that they have never felt like this before and they never even knew that this was inside them. They made statements about this open this workshop and how it helped open their eyes to deep emotions they never knew they had. Aimee shinall, victim service coordinator, peoria county sheriff's office story 3 becoming a creator was one of the most eye-opening experiences i have been part of. I have learned so much about social emotional learning in a way that i would never have thought of. It has benefited me personally, and i can also see how it is helping youth and adults in my local schools and organizations. I was recently conducting a workshop at a middle school herren project club when the principal and the custodian came in to see what all the noise was. The principal called it organized chaos. He attended the next workshop (cc) and was blown away by the way the kids were paying attention and opening up. He offered me a full-time position in the health department. I am making a difference. Jillian moriarty, prevention coordinator, herren project