Many thanks to you and to Rachel Barlow for collecting more than $2,000 in just a few days for Creativity Kids (Art Kits) for refugee and other children who have been traumatized and need help in finding their voice, building confidence and lighting their creative spark.

Refugee children are often bewildered and frightened when they come here, and the new and sometimes hateful policies over immigration are making their adjustment much slower and more difficult. I  have seen some of the suffering and anxiety close up and it is wrenching.

I can testify that many of their parents and foster parents (a good number of the children have lost one or both parents) are frightened to let them move about freely and mingle with other people and children. They are very alone and need to express themselves and find themselves.

They desperately need these kits to help them heal and adapt to a radically different environment, to occupy them, encourage their creativity and help them get past their hard times.  Barlow, an acclaimed Vermont writer, illustrator and landscape artist, is already seeking to expand her program nationally and to include foster children and other children in distress.

She is already having a great success.

The kits are simple and beautiful and Rachel has already put together about 100 of them, they will shortly go out to refugee children and kids in foster care.

The idea seems to be catching fire, and Rachel, an artist and abuse victim herself, has a special sensitivity that is pushing this innovative program and understands the power of creativity to change lives and give people voice. Barlow suffers from Bi-polar disorder and depression, her creativity has grounded her and helped saved her life.

She means to help do the same for others.

This kind of activity speaks very directly to my own personal and emerging political philosophy. I am not a hater, I am not interested in arguing with people, launching personal attacks on anyone, or denigrating the good people who have different ideas than I do. I do not seek the approval of others for my beliefs.

I do not believe in the left or the right, I embrace the idea of supporting my values of compassion and dignity and liberty for all people.

I can’t support any kind of program that targets children and families so harshly.

Rachel’s program speaks directly to that idea, and it is gratifying to see how many people are already embracing it.

She started out wanting to make 40 kits, she is already planning for more than 200.  People are enthusiastically responding to this idea. You can donate any amount at any time, and you will know precisely where it is going for for what.

I am also exploring the use of these kits in my therapy work at assisted care facilities for the elderly. I have witnessed the healing power of creativity there as well.

What’s in a kit? You can see here. Where can you donate? Right here.

And thanks. You Are An Army Of Good, and you are piling up one victory after another.