The wisdom and experience of our clients is found in words and pictures. St. Mary's Center provides opportunities for homeless and formerly homeless seniors to express themselves through various projects and media.
Members of Recovery 55, as well as other clients at St. Mary's Center, participated in a Senior Art Project with the theme "From Bondage to Freedom." One of the artists describes his child's influence upon his decision to seek help:
"One day when I was high my daughter looked me in the eyes
and said 'Daddy, I don't want you to do that'....She was crying and I cried.
I saw the light in her. I told her I would never do drugs again.
This changed my life.
Never underestimate children. My daughter is my bridge to freedom.
I drew us walking together on the beach."
"HIDE AND SEEK"
I used to raise chickens.
We had to look in the grass for their eggs.
Sometimes a hen would hide her nest.
When they came to eat I would grab them
and use my touch
to see if they were going to have an egg.
Then I would tie a string to her leg
and follow her through the woods
until she would stop at her nest.
Then I knew where to look
for the egg.
It's a true story!
-CONNIE GARDNER, born 4/13/39, New York
Artwork from some seniors has been collected into two sets of notecards, which are available for purchase. Here are some samples:
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For information on purchasing these cards, click here.