Art & Creativity for Healing Awarded $50,000 by the Boeing Company as Part of the 2008 Crystal Vision Awards Program

Laguna Niguel, Calif. (PRWEB) January 21, 2009 -- Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc. (http://www.art4healing.org), a non-profit organization that facilitates fine art classes and workshops for children, teens and adults suffering from abuse, illness, grief or stress, today announced that the Employee Community Fund of Boeing California has awarded the organization $50,000 as part of the 2008 Crystal Vision Awards Program.

"We feel very blessed that the Employee Community Fund of Boeing California recognizes the value of the programs that Art & Creativity for Healing offers to the community, and has chosen to support our organization with such a generous gift," said Laurie Zagon, Founder/Director, Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc.

Art & Creativity for Healing will use the $50,000 Crystal Vision Award to support the "Art for Healing for Heroes and their Families" program at Camp Pendleton. Initiated in November 2008, at San Onofre Elementary, located on the northern tip of Camp Pendleton, the purpose of this program is to assist military personnel and their families in processing their personal journey using collage, journaling and painting.

Participants in the "Art for Healing for Heroes and their Families" program also include military families that have one or more family members dealing with special educational needs. The program will also address the special needs of enlisted men and women who are working through war-related experiences.

The "Art for Healing for Heroes and their Families" program has been designed especially to address the stress associated with military deployments that often come with very little notice. "When a parent is deployed to a war zone overseas, it can become a very difficult time for children, especially those with special educational needs. Our workshops will enable military families at Camp Pendleton to use color, paint and abstract expression to not only depict the tough times they are currently experiencing, and also remember the good times they have already shared with the parent who is currently serving overseas," continued Zagon.

"Art for Healing is a program that is capable of supporting the entire military family," said Lieutenant Colonel Sam Pelham, Deputy, Community Plans and Liaison Office, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton School Liaison Officer. "It provides both adults and children an opportunity to connect and confront stress associated with multiple deployments during a time of war and offers a unique and creative outlet for expression...and ultimately healing."

"The Crystal Vision Awards were designed to provide special support for new and innovative programs that will significantly improve services, provide greater diversity and enable agencies to be more effective, but also to recognize quality programming and program management," said Beverly A. Hoskinson, executive director, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California. "We commend Art & Creativity for Healing for the outstanding services the organization provides to our community, and our proud to participate in the continued success of the 'Art for Healing for Heroes and their Families' program."

Art & Creativity for Healing is also grateful for the generous donations it has received during the past year from The Allen Family Foundation; The Allergan Foundation; Capital Group Companies; City of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; Disney VoluntEAR Leadership Council Community Fund; Irvine Health Foundation; Margaret Oser Foundation; Miracle Foundation; Orange County Community Foundation Veteran's Grant; Pacific Life Foundation; The RGK Foundation; Roy Charitable Fund; The May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust; Sketch Foundation; The Vons Companies Charitable Foundation, Inc.; and, Weingart Foundation.

About Art & Creativity for Healing:

Founded in 2000, Art & Creativity for Healing Inc. is a non-profit public corporation committed to helping children, teens and adults process their feelings of grief, illness or stress using the venue of painting on canvas. Art & Creativity for Healing provides free classes taught by Founder/Director Laurie Zagon and her team of highly qualified facilitators on-site at hospitals and non-profit community organizations.

Through programs offered in collaboration with more than 35 hospitals, treatment facilities and non-profit agencies, Art & Creativity for Healing has facilitated "Art for Healing" workshops more than 20,000 children and adults in the Southern California region since it was founded. The Zagon Method of Art & Creativity for

Healing was originally developed by Zagon in New York in 1987 as a workshop designed to help busy Wall Street executives deal with stress.

Zagon and Art & Creativity for Healing's Board of Directors actively raise funds throughout the year by soliciting individuals, corporations and foundations for gifts and donations.

Art & Creativity for Healing Inc. is located at 26079 Getty Drive in Laguna Niguel, Calif. For more information, please call (949) 367-1902 or visit our Website at www.art4healing.org.

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