… is an arts exchange program designed to give homeless kids and those less fortunate a VOICE…as kids in America and those in armed conflict zones around the world write letters and paint pictures for a global children’s book to the President.  Help them share their stories, their lives and their hopes and dreams for the future.

Our workshops kicked off June 2009 in Los Angeles at Union Rescue Mission with almost 200 children participating.  In November 2009, we went to New York City and, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office and seven local non-profits working with homeless children, we conducted our workshop for over 400 children at the Prince George Ballroom.

During 2010, we will travel to Las Vegas, to Chicago, to Detroit and Flint, MI, to San Francisco, to Washington, DC and Baltimore, to New Orleans, to Austin and internationally to the Democratic Republic of Congo, conducting letter writing and painting workshops with homeless, at-risk, and refugee children

HOW WE DO IT

With city officials and non-profits that specialize in aid to at-risk and homeless children, we identify children to participate in this program across the country. 

Workshops to create our global children’s book include… Professional artists, writers & teachers who lead the workshops in conjunction with more fortunate children, in an effort to sustain the workshops long after Children Mending Hearts has expanded to another city.

Our Please Mr. President… workshop goals for sustainable action are two-fold: 

1. To create active young people who will continue to serve and empower their peers to express their voices within their own communities.
2. To empower local organizations that work with at-risk and homeless children by learning what our partner organizations in each city need and then creating TAKE ACTION points for the volunteer pool at each workshop to execute as part of a long-term outreach for these groups working in the trenches with these disadvantaged children and their families.

And, the workshops are only the beginning…

In-classroom Curriculum with Scholastic to 68,000 Middle schools
Global Children's Book
Documentary
Viral Internet Campaign
…with PSA’s from our celebrity friends
Adopt-a-School campaign in workshop cities to fund arts programs

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Each urban workshop in the U.S. costs between $25,000 and $40,000 depending upon the number of kids, and their family members, in each workshop to feed, the art, jewelry & craft supplies to obtain, t-shirts for painting, travel expenses, etc.

Your donation of $50 will supply the following for one child:

Art Supplies
Craft Supplies
Jewelry making supplies for Moms
Food & drinks for child and family
T-shirts to paint for exchange with kids in Congo
T-shirt for giveaway