Toms River "ART HEALS" Community Mural for Healing and Recovery

Hope Sheds Light, Inc. a community recovery support for families and friends in Ocean County, Girl Scout Cadette, Sophie Regenye and Sophie's Community Team Expert Muralist Yvonne Yaar were very pleased to have 25 community volunteers of all ages come out to help make 105 glass mosaic leaves this past Saturday, 12/29/18 between 11am and 3pm at St. Luke's Church. Please go to their Facebook page to stay connected to the project: https://www.facebook.com/TRArt... Sophie is grateful to Yvonne Yaar, Hope Sheds Light, Inc., the Hecht Family Foundation, Bisque Imports in N.C., Rainbow Art Glass, the LeBright Family and the Kubiel Family for their generous donations.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),

"Hurricane Sandy was the second most destructive hurricane in U.S. history. Disasters like
Hurricane Sandy may cause acute stress in survivors dealing with fear, loss, and uncertainty. As the agency tasked with reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s
communities, SAMHSA developed a mobile app to give behavioral health responders the tools they
need right on their smartphones to provide quality support to survivors. The app features helplines, a behavioral health services locator, and resources for survivors that can be shared via email or text." https://store.samhsa.gov/syste... , for the apps go directly to: https://store.samhsa.gov/apps/... . Sophie participated in the fall, placing door hangers on peoples car doors, raising awareness to opioid addiction, Angela Conover with the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey whose agency leads prevention efforts on the opioid overdose epidemic has also provided Sophie guidance, for more information go to http://www.drugfreenj.org/.

This 13 year old Ocean County, New Jersey girl scout is looking for artists, mental health and addiction treatment facilities, veteran groups, interested schools, funeral homes who have been tending so much to the loss related to the opioid overdose epidemic, to partner in bringing the Toms River "ART HEALS" mural project to their location. We draw on HOPE a community mural for HEALING & RECOVERY might have for many residents of Ocean County. Perhaps clients and staff would like to work collaboratively as a way of inspiring others to incorporate the arts into their daily lives, or integrate art into mental health and addictions treatment and recovery programs if they do not already include forms of art. Volunteers ranged from 11 years of age and up. Some were Sophie's soccer and girl scout friends; some were from her church, others were family members.

Dr. Teri Kubiel Vice President, Patient Experience & Community Affairs, Community Medical Center, and her husband, Toms River Councilman Brian Kubiel who made a donation to Toms River ART HEALS, came out to make glass mosaic leaves to help support Sophie. Dr. Teri Kubiel sits on Sophie's Community Partnership Team. What's interesting is in May 2018 Teri Kubiel emceed the Women's Leadership Conference sponsored by Community Medical Center, which focused on women and careers in leadership, mentoring, women empowerment, as well as work-life balance and self-care https://patch.com/new-jersey/t... , supporting a young lady like Sophie Regenye, working on her Silver Award, which focuses on healing and recovery compliments the Community Medical Center's efforts in encouraging young female leaders. Sophie has a strong interest in the theater, music, drawing, dancing among other forms of arts but she also has an interest in physical therapy, perhaps this project will lead her on her life journey of learning.

Toms River ART HEALS is sponsored by Hope Sheds Light of Toms River, the Downtown Toms River Community Artists Gallery, and the Downtown Business Improvement District. In addition, Jill Hawthorne from Toms River Regional High School North Art Department along with her students are also engaged with this project's success. Toms River High School North art students are assisting with painting the gradient rainbow background. once that is completed, Sophie and Yvonne will make visit to the art department students and will join them in painting the tree before the glass mosaic leaves can be adhered. See pictures included above of the 12/29/18 community glass mosaic leaf session at St. Luke's R.C. Church on Old Freehold Road in Toms River, N.J. To volunteer with the community mural project, donate supplies/services or become a "Giving Tree" sponsor, please contact Pam Capaci from Hope Sheds Light, Inc. at (732) 244-0783 or email her at pam@hopeshedslight.org or TomsRiverArtHeals@gmail.com.

Community Partners to Toms River ART HEALS Girl Scout Silver Award project include: Hope Sheds Light, Inc. and Team Leader; Nick Zorojew, Exec. Dir. C0-Team Leader, Downtown Toms River Business Improvement District; Yvonne Yaar, Expert Mural Artist Team Leader with the Downtown Toms River Artists Community Gallery; Gary and Matthew Lotano, Co-Owners of Lotano Development, Inc.; Alphonse and Chris Rispoli, Co-Owners of Cafe Enigma (“Art Heals” Mural Location at 53 Main St. Toms River); Heather Barone, EPA Financial; Brd. President, CASA of OC; Brd. Member of Toms River Planning Board; Dr. Teri Kubiel V.P. Patient Experience & Community Affairs, Community Medical Center; Mary Pat Angelini, CEO, Preferred Behavioral Health Group and V.P. Shannon Murphy-Bastides; Angela Conover, Dir. Media Marketing Comm. Relations, Partnership for a Drug Free NJ; Heather Barbari, Exec. Dir., Grunin Foundation; and Adam C. Servodio, Branch Manager, Wells Fargo Holiday City; Jill Hawthorne, Art Teacher, Toms River Regional H.S. North Art Academy; and Ted Maturo, WOBM Townsquare; and Kelsey Riordan, a Jr. at Catholic Univ. of America and a 2015 Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Gold Award Recipient for "You Are Beautiful Just the Way You Are" project; and more recently Father Bob Grodnicki of St. Luke's Church.

Sophie is grateful to everyone's time, guidance and hands-on creativity in making this 6 foot x 13 foot glass mosaic mural slowly come to fruition. This mural project is meant to bring the community together as a reminder to families struggling with mental health and addiction that RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE and that the many forms of art such as painting, drawing, singing, dancing, acting, music, pottery, photography and many more can be very healing when integrated into traditional therapy/treatment programs.

In the Journal of Addictions Nursing, "The Use of Art and Music Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs" the authors refer to them as complementary and alternative medical (CAM) practices. They stated that various forms of art therapy used have had a great impact mostly with women and children.

GSJS Girl Scout Sophie Regenye stated, "A project like mine, promotes civic participation; engages all ages in community power and preservation of community space. Toms River “Art Heals” Community Mural for Healing and Recovery project is meant to represent hope and recovery for our communities here in Ocean County, some of whom residents are still displaced from 2012 Hurricane Sandy. Since Sandy, we've had an increase in opioid/opiate overdoses that has devastated our families here in Toms River and Ocean County, with one the highest rate of deaths in the State of New Jersey. This project will also help beautify downtown Toms River, bring attention to local artists and various forms of art, provide the community an outlet for creative expression, and remind the world that art can be very healing for many, whether you are the artist or someone benefiting from experience the work of art. This project is supported by sound research, check out this document to help bring the arts to your community: The Creative Community Builder's Handbook: How to Transform Communities Using Local Assets, Arts and Culture .

One of the many missions of Toms River ART HEALS is to educate the public. Please see the flier attached for an upcoming community forum in Wall Township called "IMPACT OF MARIJUANA USE ON YOUTH & COMMUNITIES," to be held at Wall Twp. High School, co-sponsored by the Wall Community Alliance for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Every parent and teenager needs to hear world renowned speaker Kevin Sabet talk on the issues surrounding this new genetically modified (GMO) form of marijuana that has become detrimental to our youth's physical, mental, social and academic wellness and success. The program begins with a health fair at 6pm. Kevin Sabet (http://kevinsabet.com/) is co-founder of learnaboutsam.org, along with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Parents won't want to miss this very informative opportunity! For more information, please email Alysa Fornarotto-Regenye at afornarotto-regenye@wall.k12.nj.us.

There are many studies that show how various forms of art, when used in conjunction with traditional treatment therapy modalities, add a different dynamic to the healing process. Whether it be listening to classical music for someone who is bound to a bed with a brain injury or sketching or painting for someone coping with loss, even expressing feelings through forms of dance have been studied and proven to increase one's mental state of health. Using art expression is really unlimited to any form of art. Listening to music and writing poetry according to how your mind is reacting to the music can be very cathartic as well. Playing an instrument or listening to someone else play or hands on crafts creating something like pottery can all be therapeutic. On a preventative level, we need to incorporate forms of art as a natural go-to, healing mechanism into our lives, and not limiting ourselves to taking medications to cope with our imperfect lives. Its important to remember that no matter how great of a "picture perfect" life our acquaintances may put on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snap-chat, we are all still human. Humans are imperfect, that's why in the recovery field they say, "Progress, Not Perfection." Our youth carry a lot of weight on their shoulders today to be "perfect" according to what their friends are all posting on social media. The reality is, no matter how popular you are, how great of an athlete you are, and no matter how high an honor roll student you are, you are still at-risk of using substances because of life's pressures. However, if you're exposed to and taught to use healthy coping mechanisms like various forms of art, then that is one more tool in your toolbox to help you through your day. Anyone can keep a small sketchbook on them to doodle at the very least, even if only doodling words or stick figures. What's important is that you get it out of your mind and onto paper, allowing yourself to let go of those negative thoughts to make room for positive self-talk, affirmations. Art can be a form of mindfulness and meditation.