One World One Canvas.

As you know on January 12th 2010, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.  An estimated 300,000 died and 2.3 million were left homeless.  Cholera poisoned the water. What you may not know, is how it affected us personally. Over 1000 friends and family of our Key West community currently reside in Haiti. Students at the high school and college, where I work, lost loved ones and had friends and family seriously injured.

In an effort to show our support, the Key West High School art department hand-painted 600 pair of shoes and dyed shirts. This is where it all began: at a little public island high school with contributions from students and friends in the community. We were aware that donated goods rarely get to the intended parties. We saw this first-hand in our travels to Haiti. Donated clothing was repossessed by the corrupt individuals in power and sold on the streets to the poor. Therefore, to make sure that the gifts were distributed to those in need, we delivered them ourselves. Working alongside Pastor Michelin in Key West, we made arrangements to stay at an orphanage and provide art workshops, necessities, food and love to over 600 children in Croix-des-Bouquet and Leogane. We literally fed hundreds of starving families in the extremely poor village of Le Rocher, for weeks. We also gifted Key West student authored and illustrated bilingual books to the orphans. Because we already had relations with the Haitian’s Key West relatives, we were invited into their homes like family. The experience is almost inexplicable in words. We wanted to do it again.

With the help of Robin Kaplan and the non-profit, Keys Community School of the Arts, I was able to create my own charity called One World One Canvas. One World One Canvas aims togive students the opportunity to experience other cultures while providing art workshops across the world. Our travelers enjoy the adventure of a lifetime, with skills and impressions that they will remember forever. They touch and enhance the lives of children from another nation through the process of creating art! You can sense how deeply our voyagers are moved as you read their accolades and testimonies.

We have recently returned from the village of Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, where we provided nourishment, clothing and friendship via our art program to the underprivileged children. OWOC also painted the elementary school. The students who traveled put together care packages for each Costa Rican child, with goodies such as candy, toys, crayons, soap and tissues.

What makes One World One Canvas unique? Foremost, we are not a national corporation; we are just a modest faction motivated by what we feel in our hearts. We like to think of ourselves as a small group doing big things. Secondly, we are distinctive because we invite our donators to be a part of the experience by visiting our Facebook site and joining in our multicultural dialogue with friends from Costa Rica and Haiti; and perusing meaningful posts of photos and extraordinary experiences by OWOC voyagers. Another noteworthy aspect is that we receive a large portion of our subsidy from local businesses and everyday caring people like you! All too often we do not get to see the results of our giving. Please enjoy beholding the many lives that have been touched by watching our exciting 2011 video documentary called Peace, Love and Sneakers – Snapshots of Haiti, by the talented Tyler Lee, via our homepage link.

How can you get involved? The best help you can provide One World One Canvas is to spread the word. If you enjoyed viewing our site, kindly forward the link via email, smartphone and Facebook. Thank you sincerely!

In Peace,
Shannon

 

Any questions please text/call Shannon at 424-281-0216 or email jamminshannon@gmail.com. If you are so inspired, you may donate online at the facebook site or website or send checks payable to One World One Canvas to KCSA One World One Canvas, 2 Hibiscus Lane, Key West, FL 33040. Thank you!

Special thanks to CFFK’s Marion Stevens Fund and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville of Key West in their support as we raise money for OWOC’s travel as well as food, workshop materials and necessities for the children in other countries.  The Marion Stevens Foundation provides the funding for kids here in Key West, who could not otherwise afford the program travel fee. The MSF particularly supports our Haiti missions because Marion Stevens, herself, was passionate about providing both art education and financial support to the people of Haiti. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Key West is a reliable One World One Canvas contributor as part of their loyal mission to help local organizations and their endless pursuit of aiding those in need.

 

 

The following statement is required by the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services:
Refer to: CH29943 – “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL0FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE, REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.”
One World One Canvas is a charity within Keys Community School of the Arts,
a 501C3 non-profit whose mission is to bring quality arts education to children. (EIN # 20-5408589)