Art Therapy Helping Joplin Kids Recover From Tornado
By: KODE/KSN, Joplin, MO
Updated: August 3, 2012
JOPLIN, MO.--- It's been a long road to recovery for some kids in Joplin. Local counselors say they are shocked by how many kids are still hurting.
"Some of the kids were acting out and some of the kids who would normally act out were sort of quite and withdrawn all of a sudden, and we knew that wasn't normal," states Heather Schuster, Boys and Girls Club, Development Director.
Riley Piper, 9, is just 1 of many kids at the Boys and Girls Club still frightened by what happened on May 22nd, 2011.
"I felt pretty scared. I kept thinking we we're going to die," says Piper.
Workers form the Ozark Center used art to help speed up the recovery process.
"Through art, the kids were able to express their feeling from the storm by acting out how they felt that day, it was a healing process," says Lorie Tate, Ozark Center.
That lead to the Tree of Hope Memorial Mural, a product of more than 200 boys and girls working together.
"Having people like Healing Joplin, work with the kids on how to deal with their emotions and figure out what they are doing and figuring out that hope for the future helped a lot," Schuster says.
The kids say the mural helps remind the community of Joplin's strength.
"I think it's a great symbol to help people rebuild Joplin and give people a little hope that we are going to fix everything and get us back on track," notes Tate.
A recovery process that's still in progress. The mural was unveiled earlier tonight at the Boys and Girls Club.
"Some of the kids were acting out and some of the kids who would normally act out were sort of quite and withdrawn all of a sudden, and we knew that wasn't normal," states Heather Schuster, Boys and Girls Club, Development Director.
Riley Piper, 9, is just 1 of many kids at the Boys and Girls Club still frightened by what happened on May 22nd, 2011.
"I felt pretty scared. I kept thinking we we're going to die," says Piper.
Workers form the Ozark Center used art to help speed up the recovery process.
"Through art, the kids were able to express their feeling from the storm by acting out how they felt that day, it was a healing process," says Lorie Tate, Ozark Center.
That lead to the Tree of Hope Memorial Mural, a product of more than 200 boys and girls working together.
"Having people like Healing Joplin, work with the kids on how to deal with their emotions and figure out what they are doing and figuring out that hope for the future helped a lot," Schuster says.
The kids say the mural helps remind the community of Joplin's strength.
"I think it's a great symbol to help people rebuild Joplin and give people a little hope that we are going to fix everything and get us back on track," notes Tate.
A recovery process that's still in progress. The mural was unveiled earlier tonight at the Boys and Girls Club.
