As someone who has been in the illustration field for over 40 years not, I often get contacted by charities to donate an original drawing for auction. If I share a vision with those asking, and feel that my work can draw attention to their needs and ultimately do something good for someone, I contribute. Drawing Dreams is the charity I feel most often drawn to. I get to choose the hospital that will benefit from whatever funds my piece raises and am always gratified when I think that they go to a hospital that saved my life when I was an infant and took such great care of my daughter when she needed surgery at the age of 10 months. Mark Summers
Drawing Dreams transforms children's hospital stay with art supplies and creative activities - a wonderful mission that enhances their health care and advances healing. Bravo!
How lucky I was to come upon the Drawing Dreams foundation several years ago. Founder Derek May has created a vital and important organization. As a creative in the dance field, I've produced several dance and music related products that I was thrilled to donate to this worthy cause. Derek is extremely passionate in his mission and has been wonderful to work with over the years. The more people who know about Drawing Dreams, the more each of us can make things better for these children.
If you don’t know about this wonderful Non-profit, please check it out. If you are an artist, illustrator, or like me, someone who appreciates that Art is an integral part of spiritual growth, education, healing and enlightenment. Drawing Dreams has been providing art supplies to critically ill children in hospitals for quite some time now. Even the smallest of donations can help them continue to shine their light and bring the joy of creativity to the children while they are in the hospital. My description is lacking but I encourage you to read about what they do.
It inspires me! I just had to share!
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Gives hope to children dealing with health issues
Opens up a new realm of possibilities for children who would miss out due to lack off finances
What an amazing organization doing special work. Keep doing what you do, it is much needed. Your work puts a smile on many faces,
Drawing Dreams is one of my favorite charities. It has been a pleasure to volunteer again this year. Next year, Derek and the board will celebrate the foundation’s tenth-year anniversary of bringing smiles to the faces of scores of hospitalized children. Happy anniversary Drawing Dreams Foundation!
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I've worked as volunteer for Drawing Dreams Foundation for more than five years. Derek and Gary work very hard to fund this important mission. I understand that plans for 2019 are to expand and help more children's hospitals. I'm excited to continue supporting one of my favorite charities.
Drawing Dreams is a brilliant, global organization. Helping children, helping hospitals, is one of the most humane things we can do. What an honor to know this group of people.
I admire drawing dreams so much for what they do. Can’t say enough good things about Derek May. Keep up the good work folks.
Hats off to the Drawing Dreams Foundation and its supporters for the wonderful difference they make each and every day for so many children who are coping with the circumstance of being hospitalized. The art supplies and children’s books donated to hospitals by Drawing Dreams help create positive, engaging experiences for these young patients, and also provide a much needed outlet for them to express themselves through art, creativity and imagination. Thank you Drawing Dreams Foundation, and a special thank you to Founder, Derek May, for his unwavering commitment and long standing dedication to this worthy cause!
Drawing Dreams is a wonderful organization. Not only does it help heal people in need, the art is so inspiring. I love this organization.
Drawing Dreams is a beautiful organization. Art through color and light is a truly wonderful way of healing children in hospitals. Derek’s passion to bring art supplies to children in need is commendable.
I am a local Artist in Palm Springs and I have to say how wonderful it is to have the many children open up and one can feel the energy in the room when they receive the art supplies, there are no words in this universe that can ever describe this reaction that our children who will take our world into the chapter of history and feeling the energy and knowing they have been inspired to create from there hearts and inner souls !! These are life changing moments for the children and their loved ones! Claudio D'Agostino Sculptor
Drawing Dreams has been a consistent donor of creative arts items to our Hospital for many years. Child and teens enjoy the high quality and unique supplies given by Drawing Dreams to express themselves during their stay.
I had the pleasure of working with Drawing Dreams a number of times over the years when I was working for Ampersand Art Supply in Buda, TX. We donated free or low-cost art materials to Drawing Dreams and they in turn, created art projects for sick children in hospitals around the country. I can't say enough good things about Derek May, the founder, and I applaud his passion to make a difference in the world by giving sick children something to look forward to and to express themselves creatively.
As volunteer creative director of Drawing Dreams Foundation, my work these past eight years has given me tremendous joy. Knowing how tubes of paint, a brush, a canvas, drawing pads and clay can change a hospitalized child's experience in a positive way inspires me and other Drawing Dreams volunteers to work hard to facilitate children's hospital's Child Life and Artist-in-Residence programs.
Drawing Dreams salutes those devoted art therapists and Child Life directors and volunteers who work long hours helping young patients in their care have fun through creative play and self-expression.
The Drawing Dreams Foundation is AMAZING! The materials they offer to kids and teens in hospital helps to boost their confidence and gives them such a creative way to express their feelings. I've had the privilege of seeing many patients discover hidden talents they weren't aware they had. I've also had the privilege of seeing children of adult dying patients cope with trauma and loss using the mediums that Drawing Dreams provides. I am grateful for our partnership with Drawing Dreams and hope to continue it for a long time to come. ~ Sandie Sternberg, CCLS, Coordinator of Child Life Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Drawing Dreams is my favorite nonprofit. It brings smiles and creativity to children who are hospitalized by using art to lighten their lives. I've supported them for years as an American author who lives in Venice, Italy. Drawing Dreams Foundation has donated art supplies and children's books valued at more than $316,017 to sixty-one children's hospitals, including the municipal hospital here in Venice. Their work is funded by the auction of art, photography and luxury travel packages and by contributions from individuals, corporations, trusts and foundations. In fact, the Bauer 5-star hotel and the Michelin-star Quadri restaurant in Venice donated a luxury travel package for the online auction, raising over $1,000. Drawing Dreams is truly a worthy cause! Cat Bauer, Venice, Italy
Very little nonprofits impress me quite like Drawing Dreams.
I have experienced first hand the dedication time and time again,
helping artists and beneficiaries alike. This nonprofit is first class.
Having the opportunity to express oneself through art can be such a powerful healing tool. Drawing Dreams helps give children in hospitals this experience. Helping kids cope with difficult situations and giving a bit of joy to a hard experience is a cause worth supporting. I am grateful Drawing Dreams is working on bringing this opportunity to as many children as possible.
Pat McCann patthediva@yahoo.com
I find Drawing Dreams Foundation a favorite charity. Such a dedicated team that donates art supplies to hospitalized kids. What a wonderful wonderful organization!
I was introduced to Drawing Dreams' mission in its planning stages when Derek May met with me at one of the nonprofit programs I directed in Durham, NC. We were excited about Derek's focus on offering fun and therapeutic creative experiences for hospitalized children and engaging children with professional artists. I had provided similar programming through The Scrap Exchange in Durham, but without the special focus on sick kids. My confidence in Derek's ability to grow his organization came not only from his concern for good planning and organizational management, but also from observing how he interacted with the children in our nonprofit. In one notable case, he recognized the great artistic potential in one very young participant and became a role model for that child, who has in the ensuing years become a professional designer. Since then, I have followed the organization's growth and development. It is wonderful, impressive and no surprise that Drawing Dreams, under Derek's leadership, has expanded to as many places as it has. Every community deserves and would benefit from Drawing Dreams in their hospitals.
Drawing Dreams is an Art Therapist's dream come true! I am a Registered Art Therapist and have worked as a Pediatric Medical Art Therapist since 2006. Derek and the Drawing Dreams crew have gone above and beyond to supply various programs with high-quality, archival, useful and much needed art supplies to support therapeutic work with children and families in the hospital environment. Being a recipient of Drawing Dreams donations is effortless, easy and an absolute pleasure with each interaction. I am so thankful for all that Drawing Dreams has directly supported over the many years I've worked with them. From acrylic paints, to gorgeous watercolor tablets to button-makers and beyond!
Thank you for all that you do for the hospitalized children, siblings and families to increase their sense of control, autonomy and quality of life in this trying and unique healthcare environment.
When I was a kid, I spent some time in a hospital. I remember it being a boring place, and certainly a lonely place, at times.
I had some artistic talent, and enjoyed drawing and painting.
I know I especially would have benefitted from an organization like Drawing Dreams: having art supplies to occupy my time, providing a productive, creative way to take my mind off my pain and circumstances. I think it would have speeded up my recovery process.
My company supplies Drawing Dreams with many of the coloring books and Scratch and Sketches that Derek donates to hospitalized children in various states. What a wonderful way for the children to express themselves and gives them a chance to be children. Derek is a gem to work with as well as an individual. I am pride to call him my friend. Keep up the wonderful work Drawing Dreams you deserve it.
Drawing Dreams has provided donated art supplies to hundreds of patients at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. The organization has been tremendously helpful in providing in-kind art supply donations during the holiday season and has continually demonstrated their commitment to the children that we serve. Drawing Dreams is a delightful organization to work with. They are organized, communicative and extremely professional. I highly recommend them as an organization and we are incredibly grateful for their continued support.
Drawing Dreams reached out to me years ago when I was working as an Artist -in-Residence at a children's hospital and generously supported the children I was working with through numerous donations of art supplies and beautiful, new art kits. The children loved the donations and used the materials to help reduce boredom, reduce anxiety and depression and increase their sense of wellbeing while hospitalized. After years of being out of touch due to my moving abroad, Derek reached out to me personally and asked how he could be a support to any work I was doing in healthcare settings. Since then our relationship has been renewed and Drawing Dreams continues to provide hospitalized children with the gift of artistic expression through their generous donations. Drawing Dreams is a lovely organization and they go above and beyond to cultivate meaningful relationships between artists and people in need. Thank you for all you do Drawing Dreams!!
Being involved in the healthcare profession for over 35 years I have never experienced an organization that was so intensely focused on the emotional well being of pediatric care as much as the drawing dreams foundation. Through its dedication to hospitalized children and their fundamental need for hope and life's enjoyment , my heart has been touched by this benevolent foundation.
I've been a donor since 2010. Drawing Dreams is such an incredible charity, almost every bit of money raised goes to help the children with almost no overhead. By donating you are helping to provide art materials to hospitalized children. I think it's so much better to have a child expressing themselves through creating art than playing video games. The smiles of the children when getting the art materials is priceless.
A wonderful organization. Every soul needs the ability to create art. Drawing Dreams Foundation helps hospitalized children find theirs. A worthy cause and good people
A place where famous artists and children’s imagination converge to offer a respite from the daily routine of dealing with some of life’s most horrific afflictions? Sign me up!!
Drawing Dreams Foundation understands that children need to be children; that they need a break from their daily therapies, and when presented with a complete set of art supplies, nothing – and I mean nothing – is more healing than expressive creativity!
Bravo, Drawing Dreams Foundation!
Drawing Dreams Foundation, is truly a remarkable non-profit. It is so nice to see the arts and creative elements of humanity touching the hearts of children, when they need it most. Keep it up, our children and communities need you. Two creative thumbs up.
Long before he founded Drawing Dreams, each December Derek solicited donations from family and friends to buy Christmas gifts for kids in his hometown hospital. Art and giving are in his genes. The many letters we've received from children's hospitals' Child Life Program directors and their young patients expressing their sincere appreciation are what make our work worth while.
