Beginning in July 2020, various Rotary Clubs in Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, Kitchener, Milton and Guelph began collecting art and creative activity supplies. All donations were shipped to Colleen Gray, a Metis artist and founder of Art for Aid, in October 2020. Boxes of wool have gone to Iqualuit, books to Six Nations, paper to the Mississaugas of the Credit, board games to Nibinamik, novels to Tyendinaga, and art supplies to 19 northern communities
Art is such a powerful medium to bring healing, ignite creativity and give youth a voice. The drive for art and creative activity supplies, which began in July 2020 and is now concluded, was a HUGE success! Thank You to various Rotary Clubs in Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, Kitchener, Milton and Guelph, Art Societies, community individual donors and volunteers for your tremendous support for this recent drive.
All donations that were collected were shipped to Colleen Gray in October 2020. Colleen’s team was kept super busy sorting, preparing the items to ship, and sending boxes to remote First Nations schools. Boxes of wool have gone to Iqualuit, books to Six Nations, paper to the Mississaugas of the New Credit, board games to Nibinamik, novels to Tyendinaga and art supplies to 19 northern communities so far.
Colleen Gray, Metis artist and Founder of Art for Aid sent the following note: Gratitude: Chi miigwetch – thank you deeply for this amazing effort and for supporting Canada’s First Artists as they learn and explore art in their communities. When we all work together, amazing things can happen – this shipment has been proof of that. Your contribution has meant the world to us here.
To learn more about Colleen Gray’s projects, go to www.artforaid.ca and www.ilovefirstpeoples.ca under whom she operates. To help defray the astronomical shipping costs she is incurring, you can support the projects of Art for Aid by purchasing beautiful art products through The Art for Aid Shop, by sponsoring a box of supplies for $50.00 or by donating through I Love First Peoples , who can issue an official tax receipt.
Such tremendous support allows for Colleen’s programs to grow and for deeper relationships to be developed with students that can now offer new projects and art supplies to even more students than ever before.