Once in a while a studio intern or volunteer goes above and beyond our expectations. This was the case for Kristyn Freeland, a student studying psychology at Guelph-Humber who interned at RE-create this past spring. Kristyn served enthusiastically in the studio for the time she was with us, and built great rapport with our youth. Her cheerful, outgoing presence was a blessing and brought liveliness to our studio times.
When her semester with us was finished, Kristyn eagerly looked for opportunities to keep supporting RE-create, even from afar. She decided to run the Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon as a fundraiser for RE-create, and set a goal to raise at least $1500. Our youth artists enthusiastically tracked her progress, cheering her on from the studio. On the chilly morning of October 18th, Kristyn laced up her shoes and successfully ran the Half-Marathon, and ended up raising over $1900 for RE-create in the process!
We are so grateful for Kristyn’s support, and the way that she also rallied the support of her church community in Bolton for RE-create. Volunteers and interns like Kristyn help keep the RE-create staff energized, and constantly remind us of the large community of support that exists for our work.
RE-create Outreach Art Studio is a drop-in art studio for at-risk and homeless youth in Hamilton’s downtown core. A program of Shalem Mental Health Network, RE-create is open three times a week.
RE-create would not be able to function without its team of amazing volunteers and interns. Our volunteers come from all walks of life. We also often welcome students as volunteers or as interns doing a placement throughout the school year. Our interns have come from the Guelph-Humber, Toronto Art Therapy Institute, Redeemer University, or McMaster University.
For information on how to arrange a volunteer placement or internship at RE-create, please contact Meghan, our Studio Coordinator at [email protected]