Staff Reports | Free Press Philanthropy
Art Heals Arizona has received a $540,000 grant over two years from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to support statewide expansion and enhancements to programs designed to help children overcome adversity through the arts.
The funding will support expanded services and program development as the nonprofit works to meet growing demand for trauma-informed arts programming across Arizona, according to a press release.
“We are thankful for the continued partnership with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, and for the opportunities it creates for the children we serve,” said Matt Sandoval, chief executive officer of Art Heals Arizona. “Every child who has experienced trauma deserves opportunities to overcome and develop not only skills for understanding and managing the feelings around those experiences, but also the chance to develop a sense of self. We believe that can be achieved through the arts.”
The grant will support programs including Weekly Mentor, Professional Artist Series, Free Arts Days, Camps Series and Resilient Roots. The organization said the funding will help expand access to programming that combines artistic expression with evidence-based and culturally focused approaches intended to build resilience among participants.
“Renee and I have backed this organization for over a decade because we believe in what they do for kids,” Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, said. “Art Heals Arizona shows up for kids, week after week, giving them the tools and mentors to work through their trauma. And that makes all the difference.”
The funding also will help Art Heals Arizona expand into additional communities across the state, increasing the number of children served beyond the current annual estimate of more than 7,500 while deepening participant engagement through additional interactions.
Recent program data cited by the organization found that 99% of participating children reported feeling physically and emotionally safe, 97% said they had opportunities to express themselves, 96% reported building artistic and life skills, and 97% said they felt positive about themselves and what they created.
“Nearly every child in these programs says they feel safe, seen and better able to express themselves. For a child who has lived through trauma, that alone can change everything,” Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, said. “We want to help Art Heals Arizona bring this type of healing to more children across the state.”
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has supported Art Heals Arizona since 2012 and has provided more than $5 million in grant funding to the organization. In 2017, the foundation awarded Art Heals Arizona $2.5 million to establish The Bob & Renee Parsons Center for Hope & Healing, helping fund the purchase of the organization’s building and support two signature programs.
