In support of local nonprofit Beloved Bags, Centra Credit Union will have an Art with a Heart fundraiser at Bespoke Events + Experiences. Tickets are available for the event to support Beloved’s cause in helping foster children.
Beloved, according to justserve.org, supplies children in foster care with a duffel bag stocked with items they may need when they are caught in a traumatic transition. Each bag has necessities such as toiletries and snacks, which Centra Credit Union relationship consultant Jessica Bowman gives children a little more dignity when they are going through this transition period.
“So a lot of foster children when they’re taken in or when they’re transitioning from foster home to maybe a different foster home, they’re pretty much just given a trash bag to put what belongings they do have in there and the majority of the time those items are lacking as far as necessities and what they may need,” Bowman said.
Art with a Heart begins at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and will run until 7 p.m. With a ticket purchase, guests are welcome to snack items, courtesy of Bespoke, as well as one complimentary drink ticket. If a guest brings two items that are on Beloved’s food wishlist to donate, they are given an additional complementary drink ticket, Bowman said.
These items include trail mix snack packs, juice boxes or bottles, Goldfish, single serve cereal, oatmeal, fruit cups and Slim Jim beef sticks.
“We’ve got several silent auction items as well as door prizes and a 50/50 raffle,” Bowman said. “We do also have some art that some local artists have donated that we will also be silent auctioning…”
Beloved Executive Director Amy Linnemann will also share a brief speech about what it is Beloved does and how those in the community can help as they are entirely funded through donations. Outside of raising funds to help foster children, Bowman hopes to bring more awareness of Beloved and their fundraising efforts to the community through Art with a Heart.
“… there are several different ways outside of donating funds or donating food that can help them,” Bowman said. “I know for example they do have some space that is donated to them through different people and different organizations so there’s a lot of different ways that community members can help them and I just hope by raising awareness, we can continue to do so.”
Tickets cost $44.52. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite and through Centra’s social media. All ticket proceeds go directly to Beloved.
