Page 11 - The Decorative Painter Spring 2018

Chapter Happenings
MEMORY BOX ARTIST PROGRAM TOUCHING LIVES THROUGH CREATIVITY — Gateway Decorative Artists, Greater St. Louis Chapter
The Memory Box program allows artists and crafters to use their creativity to benefit others by creating hand-crafted memory boxes to be given by hospital bereavement counselors and nurses to the families of newborn infants who die in the hospital or are stillborn. These will become keepsake boxes and hold treasured mementos of a brief life.
A LITTLE ABOUT US
The first Tuesday of every month (except November) a group of local artists meet at the Lindell Bank in St. Peters Missouri. We usually create between 18-24 boxes on that one day. We have been bearing the entire expense of buying the boxes needed, painting them, and then shipping them to the hospitals.
Lindell Bank has been very kind to allow us to use one of its board rooms for this purpose.
We do not wish to be given “credit” for the boxes. Our interest is to reach out to the parents and let them know that they are not alone and that others do care.
Each time a new box is ready, the coordinator of the National Memory Box program is contacted, and the artist is then told where to mail or deliver the boxes.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN. . .
In 1997, a member of an online artists group informed a
couple of ladies about a one-time project to paint memory boxes
for families that lost infant children. One of the ladies had just lost a child one week before term. A box was painted and the artist was profoundly affected by the reaction of the mother and the hospital staff.
A call to hospitals began to find out if they had a true infant bereavement program in place. It was learned that very few hospitals did have such a program. Also, it was learned the difficulties for both the families and the nursing staff in coping with these tragic deaths.
Nearly every person they talked to began to cry when they told them they wanted to help!
The program has two aspects. First, artists connect and follow up with hospitals to be sure they have an “active” bereavement program, and that someone at the hospital will take responsibility for the boxes. They track the number of boxes going to each hospital each month so that no one hospital is bombarded with boxes while others do not have any.
In addition, most hospitals do not have storage facilities so it is important that they are given their monthly needs rather than their yearly quota all at one time. Detailed records are kept on each hospital in the program.
The second aspect of the program is to connect artists with the hospitals. Some artists adopt a hospital in their own area and provide all of its monthly needs. There are no quotas or requirements. They are happy to have any boxes that anyone has time to create.
A poem is inserted into each box before it is packed for shipping. See the poem in the sidebar.
For more information you may contact Gloria Falk, President of Gateway Decorative Artists of the Greater St. Louis area at 636-561-0612.
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DECORATIVEPAINTERS.ORG The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 2, 2016 9
I created this box with love for your Child And said a silent prayer for you.
May you find inner strength to cope with your loss Allowing others to help you through.
Though you must feel alone Please know that you are not As I reach out to show you I care.
You can place items of love in this memory box To hold dear to your heart or to share.
Gateway Decorative Artists Greater St. Louis Chapter www.gatewaydecorativeartists.com