TMG Cares Volunteers Help Bring Healing Creativity and Joy to Children
April 16, 2024 |Â TMG Cares, the philanthropic arm of TMG, believes in making a tangible difference in communities where it operates. This time, their mission led them to Children's Healing Arts Project (CHAP), a non-profit organization committed to bringing the healing power of art to children facing medical challenges.
A dedicated group of volunteers from the TMG Family of Companies, driven by a shared spirit of compassion and generosity, visited the CHAP studio located in Lloyd center in Portland, Oregon on April 16, 2024.
For three hours, the volunteers immersed themselves in the meaningful work of sorting, cutting, and organizing supplies. Their task? Assisting to create CHAP in a Box - an art supply box tailored to meet the diverse needs and abilities of children undergoing medical treatment. These boxes are not just containers of art supplies; they are vessels of hope, creativity, and joy.
The atmosphere buzzed with energy as the volunteers collaborated, their hands moving with purpose and their hearts brimming with empathy. They understood that every stroke of a brush, every dab of paint, held the potential to uplift a young spirit, to transform a hospital room into a place of wonder and imagination. The volunteers were determined to finish their assigned tasks, and ended up cutting and preparing over 400 puppet stands for small hands to create on!
The volunteers left CHAP with inspired hearts, knowing that their actions had helped to bring a ray of light into the lives of children and families facing dark times. TMG Cares volunteers at CHAP embodied the spirit of hope and compassion. Their story serves as a reminder that, indeed, when we come together to uplift others, we create ripples of kindness that have the power to change the world—one CHAP in a Box at a time.
About CHAP
From their website:
Founded in 2006 by visionary artist Frank Etxaniz and dedicated philanthropist Charlie Swindells, CHAP was born out of the recognition of the profound healing power of art for children and families at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Armed with a suitcase full of art supplies, Frank began weekly visits to the hospital, ensuring that children and families could express their creativity during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Since then, CHAP teaching artists have provided 95,000+ free healing art experiences to tens of thousands of children in hospitals across the Portland-metro area. Currently, CHAP teaching artists provide 25 hours of onsite art-making per week across hospital partners including OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Shriners Children’s Portland, and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. As our partner facilities serve both local and out-of-area patients, CHAP programs reach children from across Oregon, SW Washington, Northern California, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and beyond. When children are discharged from the hospital, they are invited to participate in our weekly Art Club in the CHAP Art Studio – allowing them to continue their creative journey, meet new friends, and build community.
At CHAP, children are celebrated for their creativity and ingenuity – never defined by their illness, diagnosis, or disability. Each CHAP art interaction is customized to the needs, preferences, and abilities of each child, fostering connection and empowerment through choice, purpose, and self-expression. Our teaching artists have developed a diverse range of creative art projects using hospital-approved materials, catering to kids and teens who are immune-suppressed. We incorporate adaptive brushes and other tools for those with dexterity issues. If a child is in isolation or unable to leave their hospital bed, CHAP artists deliver art supplies directly to their room, enabling them to enjoy art-making with their families and friends.
We bring vibrant, messy fun to places that are often clinical and sterile by necessity.
Since the children and families we serve are never charged, our in-hospital healing art programs are sustained through contributions from our partnering medical facilities, as well as donations from compassionate individuals, grants, and foundations.
Learn more about CHAP at https://chappdx.org
About TMG Cares
Corporate Caring in Action
The TMG Family of Companies understands the importance of giving back and making a difference in our communities. Each year, employees select a few charities to support through TMG Cares. TMG Cares is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
TMG Cares consists of 4 distinct pillars of service, each representing a specific focus area and set of initiatives. These pillars encompass a range of programs and projects designed to address various social, emotional, and community needs, and reflect a comprehensive approach to making a positive impact on the communities where we live and work. Each pillar’s initiatives are carefully crafted to align with its respective focus, allowing the nonprofit to address a diverse range of needs and challenges while working towards a common goal of improving lives and building a stronger community.
