She sat in the life skills director’s office, sharing a dream she’d carried for years—to start a nonprofit that would teach people to draw, paint, and express themselves.

She didn’t claim to have all the details neatly sorted; she just knew that art had a way of opening people up, helping them see themselves differently.

She knew, from her own experience, that art improved lives, and that this is what she would do upon leaving prison.

The life skills director listened, nodding slowly, then leaned forward with a spark in her eye. “Why wait? You could start a peer‑led program now.”

The idea hung in the air, bold and simple. A door had just opened, and she could feel it.

A few days later, sitting in Circle at theater class, she shared this news, beaming with the excitement of new possibilities.

One impediment- DOC, dealing with recent funding cuts, could not provide the needed supplies. Undeterred, she contemplated using her own limited resources.

Cultivating positive change through the arts. That’s straight from the OHOM mission statement. One conversation and two emails later, it was agreed upon that we would fund this fledgling program.

This is how it works, how positive change happens. A person names a hope. Someone listens. A path appears. The support arrives.

If you’d like to see the list of art supplies we’re gathering for her launch, email carla@openheartsopenminds.org.