Haven Ministries is going one step farther in providing quality services to make housing homier for residents of Queen Anne’s County. In a new program called “Art For Your Home,” the organization is providing free framed original artwork to its clients moving from homeless status to permanent housing.
The idea originated with Phil Stapleton, a volunteer with Haven Ministries who is coordinating the program. He recalls, “Our residents finally scrape together money to get into permanent housing, but usually don’t have things on the wall that makes it look like a home. I saw a program like this happening in Arlington, VA, and thought we could do it in Queen Anne’s County.”
The artwork, which is donated by local artists, including artists from the Kent Island Federation of Art, includes photography, watercolors, paintings, and other two-dimensional work. Stapleton adds, “What struck me after talking with several artists, is that these artists have extra artwork they are more than willing to donate to this cause.”
Several pieces of artwork are on display at Haven Ministries Resource Center and Hope Warehouse, as well as in the Queen Anne’s County Department of Housing and Community Services. Hope Warehouse will be the central location where residents can go to select artwork for their homes, but artwork will also be made available for the program at two upcoming events.
Local artist John Sharp of Centreville and friends are participating in an art exhibit to benefit Haven Ministries and highlight the Art For Your Home Program. On Saturday, October 6, 2018 from 7 to 9 p.m., Sharp will be the featured artist in the opening of the art exhibit at Queen Anne’s County Centre for the Arts at 206 S. Commerce Street in Centreville. The art exhibit will be open about a month.
Sharp comments, “Everyone should be able to enjoy art. That simple pleasure, perhaps evoking an emotion or a memory, should be available to all. I believe the Art For Your Home Program is a great way to afford that opportunity to folks, who, at the moment have more pressing needs. I am very appreciative to have Haven Ministries at our show and certainly hope that some of the artwork will brighten someone’s day.”
According to Michael Bell, Art Supervisor with Queen Anne’s County Public Schools, students in Queen Anne’s County will be creating artwork for the program, working with the Queen Anne’s County Centre for the Arts for a showing of the student-produced artwork in the spring and gaining service learning hours for their participation.
The Grand Opening of Haven Ministries Hope Warehouse will be held on October 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hope Warehouse is located behind the Queenstown Outlets at 6537 Friel’s Road in Queenstown.
For further information about the Art For Your Home Program, contact Phil Stapleton at 410-827-7232. For information about the Hope Warehouse, contact Susan Phillips at hopewarehouse@haven-ministries.com or call 410-490-8498, or visit haven-ministries.org.
# ## #
~ Haven Ministries
Love shapes the ministry, love transforms people, and hope prevails at Haven Ministries. Haven Ministries operates a Resource Center at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with job training, educational programming, and case management services. The Haven Ministries Food Pantries are held on the third Friday monthly at Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church in Stevensville and at a second location at Centreville United Methodist Church at 608 Church Hill Road in Centreville from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Our Daily Thread Thrift Store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hope Warehouse is open Thursday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Homeless Shelter is open October through April at Kent Island United Methodist Church. For further information about Haven Ministries, visit haven-ministries.org or call 410-739-4363.