Page 5 - Stuart Exposure - September '22

Stuart Exposure, Page 5
Good Works
Martin Artisan’s Guild, The
HeART Of The Community
By Jackie Holfelder
When Michaelann Bellerjeau joined Martin Artisan’s
Guild in 2021, she found a willing group of comrades ready
to join her when she became chair of The Community and
Educational Outreach Committee on the guild’s board.
A meeting was scheduled with Lauren Mustelier, director
of enrichment and engagement at House of Hope (HOH) and
the collaboration between the two nonprofits has flourished
ever since.
The first project was supplying the Artist’s Corner, which
occupies a corner in HOH’s Enrichment Center, with a cabinet
and art supplies donated by guild members.
Following that, member Eduardo Gomez held a two- Michaelann Bellerjeau, Stuart Police Chief Joseph
week workshop for HOH’s Art4Kids program. Another Tumminelli and Mallo Bisset
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m e m be r, Bre nda
Leigh, has designed
the plans for upcoming
mural projects for the
nonprofit’s community
gardens, which are
estimated to begin
being installed this fall.
The murals are a
long-term initiative and
will encompass HOH’s
four gardens over a
three-year period,
allowing children who
show serious talent to
assist with the murals in Eduardo Gomez with HOH art
hopes of encouraging students
their artistic ability and
fostering their skills in project planning, neatness and staying
committed until something is completed.
Mustelier says, “The Martin Artisans Guild has been an
amazing partner by recognizing the importance of arts in
the communities we serve, connecting skilled artists to our
programming, and raising funds to elevate the quality and
increase the diversity of art classes we are able to offer at the
Golden Gate Center for Enrichment.”
On July 16, Martin Artisans Guild president Mallo Bisset and
board member Bellerjeau attended Stuart’s Sixth Annual Back
STUART, FLORIDA to School Bash. The yearly event, which is hosted by the Stuart
Police Department and was held at Murray Middle School, is an
VETERANS DAY WEEKEND
opportunity for parents and community members to meet school
leaders and teachers and get vouchers and school supplies.
Martin Artisan Guild members contributed enough money
to purchase 30 backpacks, shirts and supplies.
Bisset and Bellerjeau were on hand to thank members of
the Stuart Police Department for overseeing the event and to
meet other community members.
So far, it’s been a great start to the “Art Hands on Deck”
program, but it’s just the beginning. There are lots of plans in the
works for more collaborations with Martin County nonprofits.
Bellerjeau is enthusiastic about the future. “When I stepped
into this position, I found the guild already had many talented
artists sharing their ability and time as volunteers. When
connecting our artists to projects, I’m very grateful, it’s such
a joy to see the hearts of our members as they use their vast
experiences, skill, creativity and funds to help people from
other nonprofits in Martin County.”
For information about the Martin Artisans Guild, visit
www.martinartisansguild.org.
Photos provided by Martin Artisans Guild
Guardians For New Futures
Children’s Advocacy Center,
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
And Celebration
Nearly 200 supporters of the new children’s advocacy
center accepted the invitation to celebrate the grand opening
of the “Circle of Care,” designed to improve recovery
outcomes for abused children within the 19th Circuit. The
vision for Guardians is to be the leading innovators in the
fight to end child abuse.
The task of drawing the supporters to the facility, located
at 8561 S. Commerce Centre Drive in Port St. Lucie, proved
to be reasonably easy. Bringing together the various child-
welfare agencies under the same roof took time and funding.
Thanks to the unwavering determination of Guardians for
New Futures President Debbie Butler, things began to come
together. Quite incredibly the project was completed within
just 16 months from the initial launch in January 2021 to
completion in April 2022.
Many generous donors stepped forward, including Peter
Jones, Richard and Lori Tambone, Cleveland Clinic, Andrew
and Robin Hunt, Morgridge Family Foundation, BIMWERX,
Native Bloom and more. And, thanks to the hard work
of State Senator Gayle Harrell, who, together with State
Representative Dana Trabulsy, helped secure an additional
$1.3 million, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in June 2021.
Addressing the crowd, Senator Harrell stated, “We are a
community-based system based on partnerships. This is so
MULTICOLOR
PRINTING
key to the vision that the state of Florida has for taking care
of children.”
The newly appointed President of Cleveland Clinic Martin
Health’s Tradition Hospital, Dr. Madhu Sasidhar, also shared
his thoughts,
Good Works on page 6