Arts for all Kids
Every Thursday night from September to April, the London Food Bank comes alive with the patter of dancing feet, the plunking of piano keys and the smooshing of paint.
After the doors close and the staff leave, Arts for All takes over the building. Some 85 kids along with 30 volunteer teachers pack into Dr. Seuss-coloured rooms to do their arty thing for 90 minutes: dance lessons, art class, piano, drama, guitar, violin and creative writing.
Roxanna, a mother of three girls age 7 to 14, credits Arts for All Kids with helping to unleash their creativity and more. “It keeps them busy and healthy,” she says, commenting on
the big changes she’s seen in her oldest daughter Vivian, usually a quiet kid. Now 14, Vivian is pursuing Grade 3 conservatory piano, has joined the school band and is ready to volunteer in the program next year.
Arts for All Kids is proof that one person, helped by many volunteers and a generous donation, can make a difference. Karen Pincombe has run the program for 22 years now. She and husband Brian Ratcliffe, a trained concert pianist, devote countless hours to teaching and coordinating.
The program is free to families who don’t have the means to pay and the London Food Bank provides rent-free space.
In 2008, Arts for All Kids got a boost from the London Community Foundation through a $5,000 gift from the Faith Tilk Memorial Fund.
The donation painted the whole space, put a new tile floor in the art room, and bought artwork-drying racks, tabletop easels and many pairs of dance shoes, all sizes.
When Nancy and Steve Tilk lost their almost nine year-old daughter Faith, they started the Faith Tilk Memorial Fund through the London Community Foundation to honour her memory. The fund quickly grew to more than $160,000, creating a legacy that’s supporting many local, youth-focused programs, including Arts for All Kids.
“It felt really good to keep Faith’s creative spirit alive,” Nancy says. “Faith was a gift in our lives. Now she is the spark that leads other kids into volunteering, raising funds, giving back and making a difference.”