People Making A Difference: Brave Gowns

365 DAYS OF IMPACT.

YOU’RE CHANGING THE WORLD WITH US, ONE DAY AT A TIME.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-8emB-YCD4

Woodstock Welcomes Xanadu Art Studio

After developing adult onset epilepsy, Xanadu Art Studio owner Margaret Zaleskia turned to art as an outlet to keep up her spirits and keep herself going.

Margaret was noticed by a craft company called Decoart aka Americana, who then invited her into their Helping Artists Program to become a Social Artworker; after that, Margaret opened her own studio.

Knowing that the wide variety and high prices of arts supplies can be overwhelming, Xanadu Art Studio provides a place to try different products so you can find what works best for the individual artist.

Margaret aims to inform and inspire, through encouraging people to try different mediums, start a passion or enhance it, all with the belief that all are artists.

Margaret’s mission is to raise funds to work with the Epilepsy Foundation and bring their arts program to our area. Her goal with this is to give back to her community by offering free art courses to 10 low income teens aged 14 through 17 every 12 weeks. As a mom, she knows how important it is to nurture children during this age to give them a healthy outlet and form of expression.

For more information on how you can help her reach this goal, please visit her site at https://www.youcaring.com/benefitinglowincometeens-866515

Xanadu Art Studio is located at 1143 N. Seminary Ave. in Woodstock. Hours are based on class details which can be found on http://www.xanaduartstudio.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/XanaduArtStudioWoodstock/.

Open Paint is held Tuesday thru Saturday 5pm to 7pm.

Our nonprofit partners: Our nonprofit partners work in the field of pediatric oncology, fund cancer research initiatives and provide immediate support for families of children battling cancer. Fifty percent (50%) of profit from the sale of all Love Your Melon products is given to our nonprofit partners.

Donation events: 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, and we strive to connect with all of them. At the heart of our donation events is the Love Your Melon Campus Crew Program. Our Campus Crew Program is an incredible group of like-minded college students across all fifty states who are determined to improve the lives of children battling cancer. In communities across the country, our Crew Members raise awareness for childhood cancer and represent our brand. Crew members also coordinate, plan, and run beanie donation events all year long.

TRY CROCHETING PLASTIC BAGS INTO SLEEPING MATS FOR THOSE SLEEPING ROUGH.

Plastic bags are one of the worst offenders of the wasteful products that are polluting the Earth's oceans and occupying the limited space of landfills. This isn't new information, yet Australians still dispose of approximately four billion recyclable plastic bags annually. Equivalently, 429,000 plastic bags are dumped into landfills each hour; or 7,150 are thrown away each minute.

http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/diy-crochet-plastic-bags-sleeping-mats-homeless/

Ringwood church volunteers crochet sleeping mats for the homeless

McHenry resident Sue Jette is proud to call herself a bag lady. Jette, along with eight other volunteers from Ringwood United Methodist Church, have formed an initiative to make sleeping mats from plastic grocery bags for the homeless.

"Fresh Eyes" video by Andy Grammer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bgemCaaQkU

Plarn Mats (Texas County)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3uBCgMaNA

http://www.nwherald.com/2016/10/20/ringwood-church-volunteers-crochet-sleeping-mats-for-the-homeless/a5uzjx7/