Arts for the ARC provides kids events for good cause.
At Tapp’s Art Center Thursday night, children decorated cupcakes, made ornaments and created art projects.
Little did they know, all of the activities doubled as theraputic techiniques for the 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys who are sexually abused.
Organizations like the Assessment Resource Center, a non-profit that provides support for abused children, use some of these techniques to help kids, but the center received some help itself from one charitable class.
The 65 USC students in professor Annette Hoover’s Tourism Festival Planning and Management class split into 15 teams and used the semester to plan Arts for the ARC, an event to benefit the resource center.
The night included a silent auction, food, live performances, an appearance from the USC Dance Marathon Morale team and projects to entertain kids.
Students worked over the months to sell tickets, fundraise with a percent night at Village Idiot and gather the dozen of donations that made the event possible.
“It’s been stressful, but so rewarding,” said third-year hospitality and retail management student Briana Matthews. “Every time I get a food or monetary donation, I literally scream, I’m so excited.
The end product makes all the stress worth it,”
Along with fundraising, students presented to the class each week about their progress, concerns and areas where they needed help. Students were also required to submit weekly reports to their professor and will have to write a final report and presentation.
The groups worked at each station during the event, greeting guests or working with children, but it wasn’t only students who lent a hand during the night.
Mary How and Elizabeth Dukes, both art therapists and former employees of ARC, displayed one of their art therapy methops to show guests how they might help sexually abused children. At the table, children had the opportunity to trace their bodies and decorate them.
“The reason we chose this activity is because it is a good example of something that would be helpful and useful for kids,” Dukes said. “It’s a good way for children to celebrate themselves and take back ownership of their own body.”
Although the reason for the event was sensitive, students and volunteers were cheerful and grateful for the nearly $8,000 of items donated for the silent auction, the loads of support from guests and the experience they gained from planning the event from start to finish.
“I really want to work in event planning after graduation,” said fourth-year hospitality student Michelle Brandel. “This class gives me the opportunity to learn the skills and ask questions to make the best event we can.”
All of the proceeds went to the center, which How, Dukes and students agreed was well worth the work. How added that without the center, things could be much worse for the children and many would go unheard.
“The art project can be a helpful exercise, but the biggest difficulty for abused children is getting them to admit to their abuse or getting an elder to believe them,” How said. “The center is a place for them to feel safe and have someone to listen to them so they can tell part of their story.”