Painting the Future: Art for displaced children

Caroline Cappy is organizing this fundraiser.

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My name is Caroline Cappy, and I have been volunteering in Ukraine since May 2022 and am the founder of a new US nonprofit, Painting the Future, Inc., that was created to help internally displaced Ukrainian children affected by the war. Here I am at a hospital in Lviv, Ukraine.

After months of working with displaced Ukrainians, I realized that the children needed an outlet to express themselves–to find joy in colors and light–amid the trauma of life in war. I created this nonprofit to provide internally displaced children affected by the war in Ukraine with the tools, encouragement, and opportunity to make art and to empower local artists to lead these art workshops.

Along with a team of Ukrainian and foreign artists, musicians, and volunteers, we hosted our first dozen art workshops, which have been an incredible success and have brought many children hope, moments of peace, and happiness amidst their incredibly tough little lives. My hope is that the children’s artwork or the memory of the fun-filled day will continue to bring them joy after the art workshop in their temporary homes.

The contributions to this GoFundMe will allow us to host more art workshops in Ukraine for displaced children. Only 250 USD will sponsor an art workshop for 40 children. This will allow us to purchase art mediums, art utensils, paint, markers, any other art supplies, clean-up materials, and transportation to the event. We are volunteers, not paid employees. My hope is that we can scale this initiative to reach more displaced children throughout more cities in Ukraine.

This corporation is pending 501(c)(3) status. Donations of $250 or more are eligible for a tax donation receipt.

We also hope to host an art exhibition to showcase some of the children's artwork to raise further awareness of the humanitarian crisis happening right now on a large scale and assist more displaced children. These exhibitions will allow the public to see how these children are processing their emotions through their artistic creations. The proceeds from the art exhibition will assist us in raising money for local children’s needs at shelters, hospitals, or orphanages for tangible items that we can purchase.

Within each workshop, the children have the ability to paint or draw on multiple mediums. At the conclusion of art workshops, children have the option to keep their painting(s) or use those painting(s) to help fundraise for other children in Ukraine. We also tell them the specific need that we are fundraising for. The response is heart-warming to see so many children beam with joy at the thought of helping other children.

For the past few months, we have been collecting some of the donated artwork from the children in the hopes of hosting an exhibition in New York at the start of 2023. The cause I would like to fundraise for at this first exhibition is two life-saving machines for the largest cardiac hospital in western Ukraine. They are in dire need of a second set of a heart-lung machine and a hydrogen peroxide sterilization system. Once the details are finalized for the exhibition, I will advertise it on social media and post an update on this fundraiser.

My story:

At the start of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, the scenes of injustice were heart-wrenching. I wanted to do anything to help. In May 2022, I took a sabbatical from my corporate IT job and left the United States for Ukraine. I joined a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called Aerial Recovery, which was safeguarding the transportation of orphans out of dangerous areas and is led by former US Special Forces.

Working with Aerial Recovery, I was able to assist with these rescue operations as well as help coordinate field trips, delivery of humanitarian aid, and movement of donations from Poland to Ukraine. I was inspired to see so many American volunteers leave their normal lives to serve people in need. We worked hand-in-hand with the Ukrainians.

Following the concept of force multipliers, we trained and equipped local Ukrainians to ensure the continuation of mission success. As of August, Aerial Recovery helped their Ukrainian partners establish the local Ukrainian nonprofit organization called Mamay Project to continue the incredible life-saving work. To date, rescues through the empowerment of our partners continue.

Deciding to stay in Ukraine, I asked myself: What else do I have to offer to these people that have been through so much?

Here in Ukraine, I thought of all the times I have been able to use art as a way to find my inner peace as a child and an adult and knew that I wanted to provide that for kids who have been through unimaginable hardship. As an artist, I know the power of art. Art is a phenomenal therapeutic tool. Engaging in the creation process enables one to connect fully with oneself and the present moment. It allows the processing of thoughts and feelings. It provides creative freedom to imagine and transform.

I started organizing art workshops for children. My purpose was to provide displaced children throughout Ukraine a safe space for expression and creativity amid Russia's war on Ukraine. This program has been designed to be a source of joy, light, and colors for children who are enduring physical, emotional, or spiritual strife.

While the war may have faded from the front pages of the news, the reality is that the war is still incredibly intense, with no signs of ending soon. Many families have been displaced or torn apart. In some cases, their main providers are either on the front lines, irreparably injured, or have paid the ultimate price. Russians have destroyed or are continuing to destroy homes and towns. The Ukrainian government is overwhelmed with the current demands. The need for support has never been greater.