above the vertical challenge

Some of you might know that in honor of my most recent birthday and in celebration of the holidays, I pledged to match up to $250 from October 19th through December 31st, 2017 in order to try and reach (or surpass) my personal goal of $1,000 raised for Teen Writers and Artists Project by the end of the year! Some of those funds will be going to research for new community-building projects as well as to support T-WAAP's youth arts programming year-round. These programs include workshops, open mics, slams, classes, galleries, and other youth-led projects. Teen Writers and Artists Project offers these either free or at very low costs to youth.  I'm very excited to say that I will be donating the entire $250 to the organization. 

I have raised $440 so far through my birthday fundraiser and as part of the Holiday Giving Challenge campaign with the help of friends and family! With the addition of my $250 that brings my total up to $690 raised this holiday season for the youth arts community. I only need $310 more in donations to reach my goal of $1,000! If you have a few extra dollars to spare this holiday season, please consider making a donation to one of my fundraisers. 

A little more about the organization, if you’re unfamiliar.  Teen Writers and Artists Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing youth-led artistic communities across normalized boundaries and providing all young people with access to quality programs and mentorship opportunities in the arts (including creative writing, performance, visual art, music, dance, theater, etc.), especially in areas where such opportunities are scarce or inaccessible. Our vision is that all young people will be able to join a community of other creative young people where they feel safe enough to take risks, develop their artistic talents, and explore their personal identities and interests, with access to every resource necessary to realize their creative visions and projects. 

Every donation goes back into supporting the mission and supporting our youth.

The fundraiser for my birthday (funds going to research for new projects)