Goodcity Community
Spring '22 Initiative
"Young Creatives"
Wanna support young creatives & our community?
I believe arts are for everyone and that art has the ability to transform, inspire, and connect (not to mention all the other proven benefits of engaging in creativity)! With the help of my hubby and some fantastic people, we've started an organization that will provide opportunities for everyone to engage with arts learning, most especially, youth with limited opportunities. By God’s Grace, I am the result of good people providing opportunities to learn and grow, and encouraging my gifts as a youth. I hope to offer that same opportunity and encouragement to other young people and humbly ask that you consider supporting this mission. I am currently raising funds to operate a faith-based arts & education organization in Zanesville, Ohio. This organization is called Goodcity Community Development Corp. Along with providing the opportunity for families to engage with art, after-school programming will be offered to youth with limited opportunities with the goal of career pathways into creative and technologically savvy fields. The Goodcity Youth Program will provide art & digital art education, soft job skills, and faith-based personal development to students during after-school hours. Our goal is to provide youth with transformational education and opportunities, to lead to community transformation and vibrancy through the offerings of hope, the arts, educational support, the development of job & career skills, and discipleship
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The need for this programming is simple, our youth need more options to thrive and our families need more opportunities to engage. It is no secret that in the past few years, we have seen an uptick in drug and criminal activity in Zanesville. Fueled by hopelessness, broken family environments, fatherlessness, and need-based insecurities, the fast money lifestyle steals away the potential of our youth and families. There are many young people whose parents can’t afford additional art lessons (or simply don’t care to), and who may not see college or career learning as a part of their futures. A lack of hope for the future, or boredom can allow kids to get involved with risky behavior during afterschool hours that leads to involvement with the justice system, and may even lead to their dropping out of school. We believe a program fusing art and faith is the remedy. A tool given to us by our creator, art allows for self-expression, the positive processing of experiences and emotions, and a method of meaningful work for the artist. Learning to put hands to useful, creative work is transformative. We propose to offer a program that includes art, education, mentorship, and personal development, through the way of Jesus! The name "Goodcity," comes from Jeremiah 29:7, which says, "Seek the welfare (good, prosperity) of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." This is the goal, the good of our city through the transformation of young people and families.
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My personal experience is that people who care and are invested make all the difference. As a young person, I was fortunate enough to have people pour into my life, teachers of varied disciplines who recognized my potential, and made ways for me to participate, learn, and grow. One saw to it that I could participate in dance when my family could no longer afford it, another allowed me the opportunity to participate in a calligraphy class by paying for it herself, another challenging me to teach Bible lessons at the age of 16 and helping me to figure out how. These people invested in my life without the promise of personal return, and I believe, changed the trajectory of my life. I also believe that this is why I am as passionate as I am about providing opportunities to youth who might not otherwise have them and collaborating with other organizations whose missions align with ours.
All this is why I propose offering hope to our community through this fusion of art and faith where young people are met with the love of God and trained in career opportunities that will lead to positive outcomes in both their life and the life of our community.
We have equipment and supply costs, as well as some other costs too, things like background checks and feeding our kids. Goodcity is currently accepting donations to help cover these costs. Contact Faith for more info or visit us on fb. We need of lots of prayers! Pray for us and the students (and families) we will serve, and consider supporting our program by making a donation. Thank you!
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Faith (Ramos) Cornell
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