Tanager's Wayne and Nan Kocourek Foundation Report FY2023

Wayne and Nan Kocourek Foundation Report FY2023

Thank You!

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. It is with immense gratitude and heartfelt appreciation that I write to you today. Your ongoing support of our expressive arts program has made a profound impact on the lives of children and families in our community.

Your commitment to supporting this initiative has enabled us to provide a safe and nurturing space for children and families facing challenging circumstances. Through the expressive arts, we have witnessed remarkable transformations in the lives of those we serve. Your donation has not only funded the program but has also helped us expand our reach and offer more comprehensive support to those who need it most

Here are just a few of the ways your contribution has made a difference:

Empowering Children: Your donation has allowed us to offer art therapy, music therapy, drama therapy and more to children who have experienced trauma or adversity Through these creative outlets, children are finding their voices, building self-confidence, and learning valuable coping skills.

Inspiring Families: Our expressive arts program has brought families closer together. Parents and children are bonding through shared creative experiences, which has resulted in healthier relationships and stronger support networks

Healing and Resilience: The expressive arts have proven to be a powerful tool for healing and resilience-building. Youth are learning to navigate life's challenges with greater strength and positivity.

The impact of your generosity extends far beyond the monetary value of your donation. You have given hope to those who need it most and have helped us continue our mission.

As we move forward, we are committed to keeping you updated on our progress and the stories of transformation that your support makes possible. We would also be honored to have you visit our program again and witness firsthand the positive changes your donation has brought about.

Once again, thank you for your kindness, compassion, and dedication to the wellbeing of our community. Your belief in our mission is an inspiration to us all. We look forward to continuing this journey together and making a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.

With deepest gratitude,

Okpara Rice CEO

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Expressive Arts Highlights

e are up

3,135 of youth and families accessed expressive arts offerings

101 coordinated expressive arts activities

69,714 of minutes expressive arts activities

1,111 sessions of expressive arts were provided

New Expressive Arts studio at our 5th Ave building for additional children and their therapists

Outreach expressive arts services made a difference with our partners at Willis Dady, Boys and Girls Club of Cedar Rapids, and the E4Everyone Programming through the Marion Public Library

Expansion of

Thanks to the Kocourek Foundation's

generous support, Tanager created an Expressive Arts Studio at the outpatient Estle Building in downtown Cedar Rapids. Opening its doors in June 2023, the new studio has increased expressive arts activities for programs within Tanager to access for the youth and families we serve.

Launching Soon...

The new studio will include 10 hours of direct expressive arts services per week focusing on:

Toddler/parent’s expressive arts activities

Preschool expressive arts activities

Parent expressive arts activities

Family expressive arts activities

Afterschool activities for school-aged youth

The Expressive Arts program will continue to coordinate additional expressive arts services within the community that will include drama, poetry, mindfulness, art, music activities, and more.

Expressive Arts

"What stands out to me most over the past year is how much love I have received from the kids and families that I see. After a leave of absence I worried about how to reconnect and showing them how much I care despite time away. I was concerned they'd reject me, ignore me, project feelings onto me and I so surprised. I forgot somehow that love does not flow in only one direction. My former clients and parents welcomed me back with hugs, tears, and kind words. They jumped back into art projects that had been frozen in progress. Kids opened up in conversations of surprising depths. I apologized to one client for being "another therapist" who left her because this had happened many times to her before. She responded by saying, "But you came back. That's what matters." Another client who usually speaks very little spent the whole first session talking, laughing, and showing me pictures of his life that I had missed hearing about. The first few sessions we had together he left saying how his throat was sore because "I never talk this much!" Families rearranged their schedules to fit into the times that were most convenient for me. Parents shared how the break from art therapy provided them insight into how much it helped their kids and they were so eager to have them return to continue their growth. They reminded me that I am important, unique, and can do challenging things- they echoed back what I had been telling them all along."

Bridget Sicchio, MS, ATR | Art Therapist

Coordinating additional expressive arts services within the community have shown positive results as well. More children and families are experiencing the benefits of expressive arts in their daily lives, expressing a deeper sense of self awareness, self-efficacy, and empathy for others:

"One client is VERY slow to trust and when I started seeing her she would not discuss emotions, her life, challenges, or sometimes even positives. What I learned she liked however, was art and the arts. I am able to use art in almost every single session with her, and she has grown and changed so much because of it! One day I had the idea to have her create a fantasy character to represent herself and to write its story. This started a month long project of adding to our character and their story and examining them in a different way, which allowed this client to process feelings and their life experiences on a level they could connect with and easily access. Since then they have been able to draw emotions wheels, do art activities to target p ingness to engage in discussion, all w s." Kayla Lansing – Drama Therapist

From Staff

y p y p arts modalities being a different approach, many unhoused clients are more receptive to these interventions. Art therapy also serves as a means for individuals and families to feel control and build confidence when they are struggling in other areas of their lives. It also gives an opportunity to connect with their peers and have positive interactions as they discuss their artwork. Furthermore, in art therapy group settings clients can be connected with other resources in the community through communicating with co-facilitating caseworkers."

Katie Roemerman, Therapist/Art Therapist

A young client creating art during a session & her completed work – Translation from Spanish: Brave, Free, Light

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“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” –

Leonardo da Vinci