Interfaith Health Service now offering Youth Art Program

In February, Interfaith began a Pilot Art Program, Artists in Action, for the children of Latinas In Action participants. The Artists in Action project is funded by Thrivent for Lutherans and Arts for All and utilizes the talents of Maria Palma, a certified art instructor with the Omaha Public School System. Maria’s work as an artist is impressive. Her mediums include murals, oil paintings, watercolors, and ceramics. She also is certified as a dual language instructor within OPS.

Since Maria’s talents are so artistically diverse, I held several focus groups with our participants and their children to determine the type of art participants wanted incorporate into our pilot program. Requests centered on offering an opportunity to make crafts, paint, and make ceramics. Thus far, Maria’s classes have been designed to focus on each of these topics for several weeks. The remaining structure of the program will be reviewed and adjusted to accommodate the broad age range of youth that attend class each week. Classes have averaged 15 students, ranging in age from 5 to 16 years old.

So much hinges on any pilot program, it seems. Before Interfaith moves forward with any program, we attempt to “set ourselves up for success” in finding the right class to offer, the right teacher, and introducing something that will meet the needs of our participants. The foundation developed in a pilot program can influence the word of mouth about the program, enthusiasm for continuing it, program demand, grant funder review and satisfaction, and participant attendance. Maria has proved to be an outstanding leader who brings many gifts to Interfaith in helping us organize this type of program.

It has been so exciting to see our youth responsive and excited in making art and designing their very own creations! It is my goal to have a simple exhibit of all of their artwork set up for display at a few different sites in Omaha. In the meantime, please feel free to check out a couple of pictures of the students and their completed work at our website: “http://www.interfaithhealth.org”

Many thanks for your prayers and support as we move forward with Artists in Action.

Virginia McGill, Interfaith

Interfaith Health Service’s Amigos In Action

Interfaith Health Service’s Amigos In Action members, comprised of the children of our Latinas in Action Participants, are thrilled to take part in a new Wednesday evening art class through Arts for All.

Stations of Hope

Interfaith Health is pleased to present a new opportunity for developing health and hope across the community. You are invited to the first of what plans to be many presentations of “Stations of Hope.” Attached you will find a flier that describes the first presentation.

Interfaith Health invites you to post it, share it with your friends and colleagues, pass it along to other interested agencies that might like to hear about this special way hope and health is being built in Omaha.
“Stations of Hope” Tuesday, March 24, 7 pm, St. Martin of Tours Church, 24th & J Streets.

Hope to see you there.
flyer-for-stations-of-hope

New Partnerships Formed Via Interfaith Health Service

This month, Interfaith began a new “Healthy Lifestyles” program and partnership with Omaha’s Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), Arts for All and the Omaha Public Schools. Working with the Omaha Public School (OPS) System, the Youth Empowerment Program offers quality after-school programs to area youth from grades 4 through 12, while Arts for All seeks to bring affordable arts education through numerous programs throughout Omaha.

Because of Interfaith’s track record of collaboration and building programs that are recognized on the National level in meeting community needs, we were approached by YEP and Arts for All to consider offering a class to OPS youth. Out of twenty or so options, the OPS students voted on the four favorite classes they would like to see offered this semester. Based on budget, YEP’s board of directors narrowed those selections to two classes, and approved one class for Cartooning and Drawing and one for Zumba, a dance and physical activity movement class.

Gema, our Interfaith Health Promotora/Educator, is a Zumba certified instructor and expressed a genuine willingness to offer a first-ever Zumba class to a totally new age group. Gema has worked for three years with our Latinas in Action adults and she embraced the idea of helping Interfaith reach out to area youth. The curriculum for Gema’s class focuses on teaching the basics of Zumba, which combines elements of meringue, salsa and other dances, while bringing about a high level of physical activity, fun and healthy lifestyle choices for youth.

Over 25 students attended Gema’s first Zumba class. They received an overview of Zumba and began working with Gema immediately on getting active and learning different dance routines. The Director of the YEP Program, Miriam, shared that she was very impressed with Gema’s ability to work with the students and maintain the interest of so many different students. Judy, the Executive Director of Arts for All, also shared that the students have expressed many positive sentiments about Gema’s teaching style.

Interfaith has met so many new leaders, students and educators as a result of this Healthy Lifestyles partnership. We have also met many other outstanding staff and participants from other organizations that wish to work along side us to promote hope and healing in our community (these projects will be outlined in the future). We are blessed to be part of such a collaborative ministry and hope that with God’s blessing and your prayers, our partnerships continue to grow and thrive in the months ahead.

Virginia McGill, MA, Interfaith

Interfaith Health Service, Kindness in the Community

“Every time you opt in to kindness
Make one connection used to divide us
It Echoes
All over the world” — Echoes, Dar Williams

I have long been a fan of singer/songwriter/community organizer Dar Williams. One of her new songs, Echoes, has not been far from my CD player these days. The lyrics listed above have especially resonated with me as I attend various meetings in the community to seek ideas and partnerships for our Latinas in Action program during this time of transition and new growth.

While Interfaith Health Service has the mission of providing hope and healing in Omaha, I believe a large part of that mission involves about making connections. Connections with our neighbors, connections with our brothers and sisters, connections on the human and heart levels within our churches, local agencies and programs.

The simple act of opting in to kindness, rather than focusing on what divides us is a radical act. Seemingly simple, yet requiring commitment and awareness.

The echoes I have personally wittnessed within Interfaith’s ministry these past months include the following:

Interfaith participants working together to raise money for a friend whose son died and who did not have money for a funeral.

Our Latinas in Action women and their families coming together at Grace Lutheran Church for a lovely Christmas celebration.

Teenage particpants working hard with each other on team building and sharing activities.

Volunteers, teachers and physicians in the community asking how they can become more involved with Interfaith’s work.

Funders exploring possibilities of partnership and connection with Interfaith.

David, one of our youngest teen participants, saying that his Friday nights with Interfaith’s Super Kids Club are the best part of his weekend.

This New Year, I pray that together we may continue to echo the kindness that Interfaith programs seek to facilitate in the community.

Virginia McGill, Interfaith

Interfaith Health Recognized Nationally

The US Department of Health and Human Services recognized Interfaith Health’s Latinas en Accion program in November of 2007.

Check out the news release here.
HHS News Release

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