You can help this local nonprofit during Giving Tuesday Now campaign

We Care Arts provides meaningful and creative work for those with physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges.

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

We Care Arts provides meaningful and creative work for those with physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges.

Most people are familiar with “Black Friday,” the day following Thanksgiving, otherwise known as the biggest shopping day of the year. In recent years, it’s been followed by a series of days set aside for specific spending, including “Small Business Saturday,” “Cyber Monday,” and “Giving Tuesday.”

The concept of Giving Tuesday has taken off in the last couple years, giving nonprofits across the country a major boost to their funding. Last year’s campaign pulled in $511 million to U.S. nonprofit groups, according to GivingTuesday.com.

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Due to the coronavirus, this year's Giving Tuesday campaign has added an extra Tuesday to help out nonprofits that are struggling to maintain funding during this challenging time. Giving Tuesday Now is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 – in addition to the regularly scheduled Dec. 1 Giving Tuesday later this year.

We Care Arts, one of the Dayton region's beloved nonprofits, is among the groups participating in the Giving Tuesday Now campaign. Their mission is to transform the lives of people with depression, developmental disabilities, and the like, through the healing power of art.

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Credit: We Care Arts

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Credit: We Care Arts

For many who participate in We Care Arts’ programming, whether on a daily or weekly basis, it’s the time they most look forward to. Clients are hosted in bright and engaging classroom and studio settings, with close attention from art teachers and staff. For now, however, We Care Arts has been forced to suspend programming.

Although their art community looks different right now, We Care Arts is finding new ways to stay connected with clients by developing virtual programming, sharing “at home” artwork in an online gallery and creating art kits for clients to pick up at their art studio and stay inspired at home. As We Care Arts navigates this new reality, they are in need of the community’s support.

We Care Arts Executive Director Darlene Langhout shares, “Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting us through this very dark time. While we are anxious to get back to our studios and create art, We Care Arts will resume programming as soon as our communities can provide the level of safety needed to protect the individuals we serve.”

Last year, We Care Arts served around 1,200 people, from programming at its main studio location - Berkeley Center in Kettering to community outreach locations. The non-profit teaches art to people with disabilities.

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“As a global community, we can mourn this moment of extreme crisis while also finding the opportunity to support one another. We each have the power to make an impact with acts of generosity, no matter how small, and to ensure the sustainability of organizations and services that are crucial to the care and support of our communities,” said Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday. “#GivingTuesdayNow is a chance for us to stand united and use grassroots generosity to show that we are all in this together, beginning to end.”

Those interested in joining We Care Arts Giving Tuesday Now efforts can visit here.

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About We Care Arts

We Care Arts believes in the healing power of creating and producing art that transforms physical, developmental and emotional challenges into a life full of possibilities. Since 1983 the organization has served the Dayton region, currently serving more than 1000 individuals per year. They enrich the lives of people recovering from strokes, serious injuries, struggling with depression or other mental health complications as well as those born with developmental disabilities such as Downs Syndrome or those on the Autism Spectrum.

We Care Arts is guided by their belief in the healing power of art. Creating art compliments medical therapies, increases self-confidence, and ultimately improves quality of life. Visit  wecarearts.org for more information on their programs and how you can support the  organization.

Colorful glass bowls from We Care Arts.

Credit: Submitted

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Credit: Submitted

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