ARTZ Philadelphia Joins #GivingTuesday
ARTZ Philadelphia, a small non-profit that provides opportunities for interactions around arts and culture to people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias, has joined #GivingTuesday for the fourth year in a row. #GivingTuesday is known as a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. But at ARTZ Philadelphia, #GivingTuesday 2017 has been re-cast as #Gratituesday, an opportunity to use this high-profile day to express gratitude to all who support and engage in their work. Occurring this year on November 28, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the US) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support. ARTZ Philadelphia’s staff have decided that November 28 of this year is also an opportunity to recognize the people who do the giving.
ARTZ Philadelphia has gone from a staff of one running a lean but very successful #GivingTuesday campaign in 2014 to an increasingly community-centered effort focused on Community Engagement Days leading up to the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, in which members of the wider Philadelphia community were invited to work on large-scale creative projects with people living with dementia and their care partners. Nine-foot collaborative painted banners allowed artists to express joy in their own way. “Friendship weavings,” in which residents in regional care communities and community volunteers sat across from each other, weaving brightly-colored ribbons and other strips of fabric toward each other, created tangible human connections through the resulting textiles. This year, a team of staff and two passionate ARTZ Philadelphia interns from the Human Development and Community Engagement program in Temple University’s College of Education decided that it was time to give thanks on a large scale on #GivingTuesday. In a video of thank-you selfies from staff, Board members, volunteers and others, intern Alexandra Emmich (co-creator of the video) expresses her gratitude to the organization’s program participants:
“Thank you to our wonderful participants for bringing light into our programs, laughter to our community, and love into our hearts. Happy #Gratituesday!”
Those who are interested in joining ARTZ Philadelphia’s #GivingTuesday initiative or supporting their work can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ARTZPhiladelphia/ and Web site at https://www.artzphilly.org/donate-to-artz-philadelphia. For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow @GivingTues and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on social media.
About ARTZ Philadelphia
ARTZ Philadelphia was founded on the belief that people living with dementia should be accorded the benefits of well-being and quality of life that others enjoy. We offer opportunities for interactions around arts and culture that turn this belief into reality. We are committed to supporting and celebrating people with dementia and their care partners as valued members of our wider creative community.
About #GivingTuesday
#GivingTuesday is a global giving movement that has been built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world. This year, #GivingTuesday falls on November 28. #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help create a better world.