Stars of HOPE in Lewiston, ME
Join us for a life-changing experience of compassion with Stars of HOPE in Lewiston, ME. Handcrafted by survivors and artists, these therapeutic stars bring comfort and solidarity to diverse communities. Thanks to nationwide volunteers for igniting hope’s light.
Art-Based Self-Expression for Emotional Release
Art-based self-expression can be a powerful tool for facilitating emotional release and promoting healing. Discover how Stars of HOPE can be used as a tool for self-care and support for individuals impacted by trauma. Learn how art-based self-expression can help individuals connect with their emotions and find a sense of peace and clarity. Join us in creating messages of hope and love through our Stars of HOPE program and experience the healing power of art for yourself.
What is Social Healing?
Social Healing is a phrase used to describe the work we do. But what exactly does that mean? We’ll explain it, using examples from the organizations and people who make up the movement.
Hope Spotlight – Josh’s Story
Pulse, Orlando, and the tragedy that followed transformed Josh Garcia from nightclub operations director to a man on a mission for hope. This is his story.
What’s really in a box of hope?
At Stars of HOPE, our mission is simple – help survivors of tragedies heal their emotional trauma. We do this by sending them handmade stars, made by people like you, with messages of hope and love.
HOPE ALERT: Odessa & Midland, TX
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] On Saturday August 31, 2019, between Midland and Odessa Texas taking the lives of seven and injuring at least twenty-five others. All too often families and communities are left with the feeling of being forgotten. You can help lift the spirits of the devastated communities through messages of hope and the healing power of […]
HOPE ALERT: Dayton, Ohio
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On the morning of August 4, 2019, the community of Dayton, OH and the nation were shaken at the core. A second mass shooting within twenty-four hours took ten lives as twenty-seven others were injured and leaving many more impacted by a senseless act of violence. You can help lift the spirits of the devastated […]
HOPE ALERT: El Paso Texas
On the morning of August 3, 2019, the community of El Paso, TX and the nation were shaken at the core by a mass shooting. 22 lives were taken as 24 were injured and many more impacted by a senseless act of violence. With Stars of HOPE, you can help lift the spirits of the […]
HOPE ALERT: Iowa Flooding
Farmers throughout Nebraska and Iowa had little time to respond to the floodwaters that rushed over their lands last week, so many left their livestock and last year’s harvest behind. This has been the worst flooding in 50 years. Now as they see their familiar landscape destroyed, discover how much they have lost, staying in […]
HOPE ALERT: LEE COUNTY, Alabama
On March 4, 2019, powerful tornadoes plowed through Lee County in Alabama and killed at least 23 people and left a path of destruction that looked “as if someone had taken a blade and just scraped the ground,” the county sheriff said Monday. It appears that some people had only a five-minute warning Sunday afternoon […]
AATA Conference Attendees Send Stars of HOPE Following the Tallahassee Yoga Studio Shooting
January 3, 2019 | By Stephanie Wray, ATR-P, LMHC Intern Every year at the annual conference of the American Art Therapy Association, attendees are invited to create artwork in the open studio — a wonderful way to step back and process during the intensive days of learning. At the 2018 conference held in Miami, attendees were invited to […]
Education Funding Partners: 7 Easy Ways for Your Classroom & Students to Give Back this Holiday Season
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Christine Dickson For those who are happy and healthy, the holiday season is certainly the most wonderful time of the year. Full of vacation time, family gatherings, food, and presents, the holidays seem to pack everything we enjoy the most about life into the span of a couple months. And the magic and happiness we […]
The Renewal Project: 5 stories that show how the arts can help communities thrive
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Travis Marshall, The Renewal Project Looking back at all the stories we featured in 2018, it’s clear that art wields a unique power to affect change by connecting people in deep and meaningful ways. Whether it’s reflecting a community’s own values in surprising ways, or instilling hope and confidence in the next generation, these […]
Better to Give Than Receive
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We love this Story of HOPE submitted by Julie Levinson from the Epstein Hillel School in Massachusetts. We are thankful for these awesome students and their teacher who wanted to bring hope to those who need it the most! Fourth graders at Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead, Massachusetts know that they have a lot to be […]
Responding to Hate with Hope
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] In the last couple of months, several mass tragedies have devastated our nation. In October, 11 people were killed in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In November, 12 people were gunned down in at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California and 2 more were killed at a yoga […]
HOPE connects students in Connecticut and Israel
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Students at Haroeh Elementary School in Sderot, Israel live in a constant state of trauma from the rockets and bombs that have rained down on their city. Their neighborhood is pockmarked with holes and shrapnel. A metal dome is built over the school to protect it from an attack. “At a moments notice they […]
PayneWest Insurance Sends Hope to Hurricane Michael Survivors
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Every year, PayneWest Insurance provides its employees up to 30 hours of volunteer time-off to give back to their communities and to the causes that are important to them. As part of this initiative, PayneWest dedicates the month of October for each of its offices to pick a project in their community and dedicate a […]
Tulsa Girl Scouts Paint Stars of HOPE for Teacher Battling Breast Cancer
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tulsa Girl Scouts Troop 442 used a little paint, some creativity, and compassion to send messages of healing to their teacher battling breast cancer. For this service project, the scouts teamed up with Stars of HOPE® USA, an organization that empowers children to bring hope to those in need through the messages of healing. “Stars […]
Hope Alert for the Florida Panhandle
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] Our hearts go out to all those impacted by Hurricane Michael. The images coming out of Florida are devastating – many people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Right now, several disaster response organizations are on site deploying much-needed relief supplies such as food, water, shelter, and clothing. While organizations are working tirelessly […]
Stars of HOPE®USA Releases Impact Study with Florida State University
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Stars of HOPE®USA, a unique disaster relief and community arts program, together with experts at Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice have released a study that examines the impact of Stars of HOPE on the emotional recovery of individuals who have survived a natural disaster or traumatic event. “We are extremely […]
Hope for Heroes at the World Trade Center Health Program
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Stars of HOPE® is a program of the New York Says Thank You Foundation, a foundation started after the September 11 terrorist attacks to say thank you for the love New York received after that tragic day. To commemorate the 17th anniversary of September 11th, Stars of HOPE partnered with the World Trade Center Health […]
Hope after Harvey: Celebrating the Resilience of Houston
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In late August 2017, tropical storm Harvey barreled through the Atlantic Ocean picking up speed as it headed for the Texas coast. As it made landfall, Harvey was a category 4 hurricane causing major flooding and an estimated $125 billion dollars in damage to Houston and other areas on the Texas coast. Hurricane Harvey soaked […]
Hope Alert for North and South Carolina
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]In the wake of Hurricane Florence, people in North and South Carolina are in need of help. Those who were in the path of Florence are in for a long recovery period. Many organizations have been deployed with food, clothing, water and shelter. But survivors of Florence are also going to need HOPE. Here […]
Haddad Brands creates hope for Northern California
Share This Post Share on facebook Share on linkedin Share on twitter Share on email On August 14, employees with Haddad Brands in New York City came together to paint 30 Stars of HOPE® during their annual Community Day. Employees gathered around tables in a conference room and painted messages of hope and healing on […]
#HOPEALERT for Ellicott City
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”] HOPE ALERT ISSUED FOR ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND FLOOD [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInRight”]The second “1-in-1,000 year rain event” in two years sent floodwaters roaring down Main Street in historic downtown Ellicott City, pushing water as high as the second floor in some buildings. Help create Hope for Ellicott City with Stars of HOPE to serve as beacons […]
Critter Campers create hope with Stars of HOPE
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] For local elementary and middle school students, Critter Camp at the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley was a week full of caring for animals, learning about the environment and creating hope for someone in need. According to Lynn Hildebrand, a Stars of HOPE volunteer, Critter Camp teaches children about the importance of kindness […]
Stars of HOPE Bring More than Color to Orlando’s CommUNITY Rainbow Run
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [NEW YORK CITY | JUNE 11] “Alone we feel… together we heal,” was Pulse nightclub Josh Garcia’s first thought as he began emerging from a cocoon of grief and depression following the senseless act of hate. Now, as Stars of HOPE’s Director of Operations and Programs, Josh Garcia, credits the powerful Stars he received […]
Hildebrand Glows as Stars of HOPE Ambassador
“Lynn is a gift,” said SOH Branding Consultant Fran Sheff-Mauer. Fran and the rest of the SOH team receive weekly… almost daily emails… from Lynn Hildebrand, chronicling her many events and shares of Stars of HOPE with both children and on behalf of animals with the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley. She follows the […]
#HOPEALERT for Indiana
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”none”] HOPE ALERT ISSUED FOR INDIANA SCHOOL SHOOTING [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”none”]Noblesville, Indiana has been the most recent site for an all too common occurrence in America. On May 25, a 13-year-old male student opened fire, injuring one female student and a male teacher, marking the 21st school shooting of 2018. The terror and unbelief […]
Wildfires Ignite a New Passion
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”none”]The intrinsic desires of a mother crosses borders, cultures, and societies. We love our children unconditionally. When they hurt, we hurt. When they rejoice, we rejoice. Our desire to protect goes beyond a grizzly bears ferocity and our desire to guide them to be compassionate, loving, intelligent, tolerant, and productive humans is part of […]
ANA YAHUD. (I am a Jew). ANA MIN AMRIKA. (I am American) AND I CARE ABOUT YOU.
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”]By Jeff Parness | May 15, 2018 One week ago Friday, I had the privilege of speaking with two Palestinian journalists in Gaza on the phone, Jamal and Mohamed. I spoke with them in both Arabic and English. Mahrhabahn yah Jamal Minshawe wah Mohammed O. Al-Astal (Hello Jamal and Mohamed) Ismi Jeffrey. (My name is Jeffrey) Ana […]
Stars of HOPE Deliver Much More Than HOPE in a Bing Wong Classroom & Beyond
Share This Post Share on facebook Share on linkedin Share on twitter Share on email Stars of HOPE was proud to be welcomed back to San Bernardino, California’s Multicultural Festival hosted annually by Bing Wong Elementary. One of the organizers and a history teacher at Bing Wong, Jade Smith, explained that Stars of HOPE has […]
#HOPEALERT Issued for Santa Fe
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”]The country’s 22nd school shooting happened on the campus of Santa Fe High School May 18. This horrific tragedy occurred the day before their graduation ceremonies and left the community shattered, while the rest of our country watched in disbelief that this could happen yet again. But the LOVE and support that has poured […]
#HOPEALERT for Parkland
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]The tragedy that happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida is horrific, but the LOVE and support that has poured in from the country is something to be proud of. We are honored to be partnering with the Florida Art Therapy Association to bring art therapist to the students and staff who are […]
Stars of HOPE Become Part of Art History Curriculum in California Classroom
Share This Post Share on facebook Share on linkedin Share on twitter Share on email Students at Rialto, California’s W.A. Carter High School are creating messages of hope around the world after a joint event with Stars of HOPE and Black Book Sessions. Organized locally by art instructor Kara O’Brien, young creative minds were inspired […]
New York Life Employees Send Stars of HOPE to Seminole Heights
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”][MAY 10, 2018 | ORLANDO] On a warm sunny Saturday afternoon (April 28), a collaboration between Stars of Hope, New York Life-Tampa Office and The Life Center of the Suncoast came together to honor the families and the survivors of the Seminole Heights. The families of Benjamin and Monica attended the event and were […]
#HOPEALERT Issued for San Bruno
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInRight”]A #HOPEALERT has been issued for San Bruno after a shooting at the YouTube headquarters that killed three and injured a fourth. We’ve witnessed the tremendous healing brought by Stars of HOPE when they arrive at sites of human-caused tragedy, such as San Bernadino, Orlando, Manchester, Sutherland Springs… and sadly, the list goes […]
#HOPEALERT for Toronto
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]A #HOPEALERT has been issued for Toronto, Canada after a rental van rammed into a crowded sidewalk, killing 10 and injuring 15 innocent pedestrians. We’ve witnessed the tremendous healing brought by Stars of HOPE when they arrive at sites of human-caused tragedy, such as San Bernadino, Orlando, Manchester, Sutherland Springs… and sadly, the list […]
#HOPEALERT for Tennessee Shootings
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]A #HOPEALERT has been issued for Nashville, that has recently been the site of two shootings. The first occurring on April 22 when a shooter went on a rampage inside a Waffle House and a second, only weeks later, at the Opry Mills Mall. We’ve witnessed the tremendous healing brought by Stars of HOPE […]
#HOPEAlert for Oklahoma Wildfires
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInLeft”] HOPE ALERT ISSUED FOR OKLAHOMA WILDFIRES [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Last April, fifty-two counties in Oklahoma were hit by devasting wildfires. Nearly 350,000 total acres have been scorched, an area close to the size of Chicago and New York put together. We’ve seen the positive impacts that Stars of HOPE can bring to areas devastated by […]
Symbols of Resiliency – Inspiration in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park
BY LEANN DILBECK – Resiliency looks different to everyone. It looks as different as the pain and adversity that drives a person to their inner depths to uncover what inspires their soul. Watching your home, everything you’ve worked for, every sentimental material item you treasure… along with the homes of your beloved friends and neighbors… […]