February 2020 Newsletter
Together we can empower youth/young adults in recovery from addiction, and their families, through the engagement of expressive arts and the development of related entrepreneurial business skills.
February News and Program Highlights
Announcing New Board Leadership
We are excited to announce that Amita Chinnadurai, Mike Weiland and Devan Ixta are new members of our Board of Directors! These three local leaders bring incredible insight and years of diverse experience to their roles on the our board. We celebrate them and look forward to working together!
Amita Chinnadurai
Wells Fargo Advisors, Vice President, Risk Manager
Amita is energized by the opportunity to empower and develop youth/young adults in recovery, celebrate sobriety, shift cultural norms pertaining to substance use and transform the dialogue around addiction from shame to support.
Mike Weiland
The Gellman, Team Buyer Specialist and
The Crossroads Program, Co-Owner
Certified Reciprocal Substance Abuse Counselor
Having been fortunate to have entered recovery at the age of eighteen, Mike has worked passionately to help others achieve recovery from drugs and alcohol. He gives back what has been so freely given to him, knowing that if young people can learn to be joyful and confident without the use of substances, they will enjoy bright and successful lives.
Devan Ixta
Cushman and Wakefield. Facilities Management Coordinator
Devan is committed to support the sobriety of youth/young adults, seeing firsthand how working an active recovery program can save and positively change lives. Devan lost her father to alcoholism at the age of 17. Devan’s was motivated to participate in Hope Creates because of observing how this programming empowers youth/young adults in recovery.
Join Us For Upcoming Events!
Medici MediaSpace has been our residence since 2017. We invite you to Medici’s Open House on Thursday, March 12, from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Kathie Thomas, Hope Creates President and Founder, will be featured in the Medici Gallery. This one-woman-show of her black-and-white landscape photography is a fundraiser for Hope Creates. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sales of Kathie's art will go to the Kansas City expansion of Hope Creates in your name.
Join us. Please feel free to invite your friends! Make new connections, discover new business opportunities and support our sober artists. This is a free event and open to both members and non-members.
Click here to RSVP. Hope we'll see you there!
Save The Date
If you are a young adult (ages 15-30) in recovery, we invite you and your family to join us our vibrant, creative and sober community!
Kansas City Hope Creates: Print It!
Take Your Photos to the Next Level
Sunday, March 15, from 1-5 pm
Alison Barnes Martin Photography Studio
601 E 63rd St #320, Kansas City, MO 64110
St. Louis Hope Creates: Third Degree Glass!
Meet Us In The Hot Shop!
Due to popular demand we have booked our March Community Creation Event at Third Degree Glass for another amazing glass blowing adventure! All 30 tickets have already sold out. We will work one-on-one with glass artists to craft colorful crystal paperweights and ornaments.
Kansas City Hope Creates: Ballroom Blast!
You Can Be Art In Motion
Sunday, April 19 from 2-6 pm at Camelot Ballroom
6635 151st Street, Overland Park, KS 66223
St. Louis Hope Creates: Legal Graffiti
Express Yourself
Sunday, April 26 from 2-6 pm at Medici MediaSpace
2065 Walton Road, St. Louis, MO 63114
Drum Circle
Find Your Rhythm and Give Your Drum a Voice Within the Rhythm of the Group
Sunday, January 5, 2020
St. Louis, MO
Stephanie Kusmer, of Earth Rhythms Healing, facilitated our exploration of the African hand drums. We experienced the power of the drum to relax the tense and energize the tired. Our drumming stimulated huge smiles, laughter and play; released anger and promoted feelings of community and unity. We left feeling uplifted by the percussive music we created together.
Tell Your Story!
Writing Your Story Could Be the Most Important Thing You Ever Do
Sunday, February 16, 2020
St. Louis, MO
Nancy Erickson, known as the the Book Professor, took us through a series of exercises, working one-on-one with our members as she helped us find our hidden yet compelling stories. As a professional writing coach, she pulled out a variety of exercises to help us to look at our entire life and all our experiences that have led us to this point. She urged us to embrace our individual stories and share them to save lives, change lives, or transform society.
Shoot It!
Create Beautiful Photography in Nature With Jack Curran as Our Guide
Sunday, February 23
First Kansas City Community Creation Event
This was our first Community Creation Event. Kansas City has a strong recovery community and welcomed us with over 35 sober young adults and their families who joined us at the Overland Park Arboretum to learn from globally renowned black-and-white nature photographer, Jack Curran. Jack encouraged us to see as we have never seen before and to reveal the small and hidden things that no one would notice without our vision.
We Celebrate Our Partners
We want to honor YouthBridge Community Foundation for being our partner since 2017. When Hope Creates was only a concept, YouthBridge was there for us through the SEIA grant process. Their granted seed money helped us get started. Read the story of how our partnership continues. Thank you YouthBridge. We are grateful!
Tribute to Success 2020
A celebration of Extraordinary Stories
Supporting Connections to Success
At Connections to Success, we interact with extraordinary people every day. This year our Tribute to Success will celebrate the achievements of extraordinary individuals and groups that have inspired others through their stories of passion, hope, collaboration and leadership.
March 5th 2020
12:00 - 1:00pm: Luncheon
11:15am-12:00pm: Check-in, networking, silent auction
The Ritz-Carlton
100 Carondelet Plaza | St. Louis, MO 63105
With Gratitude,
Kathie Thomas
President and Founder