Hope, Create, and Inspire Auction and Event

By Chris Thomsen and Kathy Cormier

In July of 2009, Moira Landry created an organization to make a difference in the lives of homeless children living in Massachusetts. However, she supplied the kids with something creative and unusual: art supplies. That organization, Hope for Creativity, has run many events in order to raise funds for their cause. And on October 12th, you can make the difference in a child’s life. 

Hope, Create, and Inspire, an art event and auction sponsored by  Hope for Creativity, will occur on Friday, October 12, from 6:30-11 PM at the Sheraton Colonial, 1 Audubon Road, Wakefield, MA. Hope for Creativity invited artists to create pieces using the theme of hoping, creating, and/or inspiring as their motivation. Twenty-two artists from several states donated multiple 12”x 16” paintings to be bid on, with all proceeds going to art supplies for homeless children. All bids will begin at $50. Bidding has already begun at the following web address, and will end on October 12th at 9 PM: http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/1982/auctions/5274/auction_items/107419

At the event at the Sheraton Colonial, there will be food, music, a cash bar, multiple raffles, and most importantly, lots of goodwill and inspiration. To buy tickets for the event, please visit www.hopeforcreativity.com . 

Hope for Creativity (HFC) is a youth-powered 501c3 dedicated to providing art supplies (the tools to create!) to homeless children in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. HFC also makes creative art times available for children and their families staying in shelters.  In addition, HFC visits schools and youth groups throughout the year to make students aware of the issue of childhood homelessness and empower them to be change makers in their communities.

Hope for Creativity was founded by Moira Landry, currently a tenth grade student at Swampscott High School. HFC is now run by a group of young people, overseen by an adult advisory board, who have made a commitment to make a difference in the lives of homeless children.  "We believe that you don’t have to be an adult to make a huge difference in the world and creativity is a vital component of healthy childhood development.  Although our work does not completely resolve the issue of childhood homelessness, we can give homeless kids the tools with which to create and something to call their own,” says founder Moira Landry.  

Since the founding of the organization, HFC has distributed 1,000 art packs to homeless children. HFC also sponsors an annual Music-a-Thon (January), community nights, canand bottle drives, and various other ongoing activities.