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'Waterville Creates!' launches 'Art Kits for All' program

In response to COVID-19, 'Waterville Creates!' launches new program to supply art materials and instructions to families in need in the greater-Waterville area.

WATERVILLE, Maine — Editor’s note: You've probably heard the term ‘flattening the curve’ as a way to stem the tide of coronavirus cases. The above video explains what that means. 

The nonprofit Waterville Creates is launching a new program to supply art materials and instructions to families in need in the greater-Waterville area. The program is called 'Art Kits for All.' 

The goal of the program is to provide those without money or access to supplies something to help them create during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Waterville Creates looking for donations from the public to help fund the program going forward.

Waterville Creates has already conducted one pilot distribution at the Alfond Youth and Community Center in which it distributed 100 art kits. Now, it is planning further distributions for the week of May 11. It hopes to distribute 600 art kits at that point in time. 

"A lot, a lot of kids have nothing. They have a pencil, maybe," says Waterville Creates education and outreach coordinator Serena Sanborn. "Our goal is to bridge that gap."

Sanborn says the idea to create art kits originated from a local art teacher. "She told us she was assigning kids to draw with a stick in the dirt because some of her students didn't even have a pencil."

The objective of 'Art Kits for All' is to increase access to art supplies in the community. Particularly in a time when people need healthy outlets for creativity. 

"I think the goal is to keep people entertained but also to make people feel good," says Sanborn.

For more information about Waterville Creates and the 'Art Kits of All' program, click here.

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At NEWS CENTER Maine, we're focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: /coronavirus

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