Well winter is here, and some times this means you will be closed in the house and time to think about the death of your love one. Flint has the unfortunate reputation of being a city where your people become the victims of homicide far too often. In recent weeks,several of our youth have lost their lives or have been arrested as the result of gun vilence.But I think I have good news to help us work on something positive in the community. Families Of Murdered Children Support Group and The Urban League of Flints Raise It Up! is working on an important and special project and we hope you will help! Last year Raise It Up! Youth Art & Awareness partnered up with Families Of Murdered Children Support Group to provide Family Arts Workshops. The goal of these workshops is to provide "Art Therapy" for families who lost a love one to violence here in the City of Flint and surounding aria's. Families Of Murdered Children Support Group will be participateing in these workshops. However, any person who has lost a loved one and would like to participate in the Families Of Murdered Children Support Group workshop are invited as well. In these workshops, grieving families will have the opportunity to work with artist facilitaors who will lead them through a process of dialogue and art-making as a means to express their emotions and to share a message with the larger community. Atthe the of this process, the families will present their works in a community showcase that is free and open to the public. This is where we need YOU! Raise It Up! is an organization that foucuses primarily on performance arts (theater, music, dance, and performance poetry). However, some of the families will want to express themselves through the vehicle of visual mediums such as painting, sculpture, print or other forms. Are You A Visual Artist? Do you know a visual artist who might be interested in volunteering to help Families Of Murdered Children Support Group. create artistic testimonies? Can you use your talents to help families share their experience, express their talents, and heal? The time commitment will involve 2 Saturdays out of the month from now unitl December. Each session will be an hour and a half. Three hours a month is all you need to commit to make a difference. If you want to help please contact: E. Wanda Pierce at 1-810-691-7356. Please encourage the people you know who have lost a love one to go to a meeting . They need to talk about there love one who has been murdered.No matter how long it has been just one little thing like smelling cologne the victim liked or hearing about someone they may have cared about, or seeing something they would have liked can bring it all flowing back. Anniversaries of the death, their birthdays, and holidays can be the hardest time of all. You need to be able to talk to people who are feeling the same way they do. You can feel so alone, but you don't have to be.  It will help by attending the meetings and getting the support you need through this difficult time.  Please Join Us! Our New Meeting With The Arts Will Be a Blessing. And just think Spring will be hear soon!!