hummingbird studio

This week we shared our highlights of 2023. Some of yours were:

Family
New jobs and relationships
Our pets
Getting wonderful health news
Getting to make art
Vacations

Thank you to our wonderful donors, artists, volunteers, tutors, and learners for all of the love and support. These programs wouldn't exist without you!

Also, thank you to The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and the Dawkins Charitable Trust for providing non-profits such an impactful fundraising platform and bonus fund. Our community is better for it.

Thursday was our last day at the Armory. It felt magical to make art with you in this space! We're so thankful to have had this time with all of you and can't wait to see you at Friendship Hall starting January 8th. ❤️

We also got to know some lovely students on Thursday. Thank you for joining us and for being so warm and welcoming. We had a blast!

We had such a fun week and our art wall is filling in quickly! The theme this week was travel. Here are some of your responses:

Hawaii
Spain
Atlantis
Lord of the Rings
California
Back in time
Under the sea
Norway
Space

LEAD 2024 is about to begin on January 10th. We're still looking for tutors.

Class credit is possible and I hear it's a lot of fun!

Email Community Programs Director, Randi Miller for details:

[email protected]

This week we talked about what we're looking forward to. Thanks for the theme, Callie! You're looking forward to:

Holidays
Good food
Dinner
Sleep
Vacations
Sunshine
Peace

Make some low sensory holiday crafts at Saint Martin's!

Thank you, Saint Martin's and Garfield Elementary for the fun donation. We can't wait to enjoy these with everyone!

This week was a lot of fun. We talked about home: what we like about ours, what it means to us, and how we make others feel at home.

The most popular response to this theme was family. Your families and friends are home!

Other responses included:

Food
Pets (which are family)
We love our beds and plants
We want everyone to have a home

We're still looking for a permanent home, but are excited to be hosting art sessions at Friendship Hall starting Monday, January 8th! We can't wait to welcome you to this lovely space, made possible by our friends at The Liberation Collective and the YWCA.

Come make art with us by registering for an art session!

Together we raised $8,030! Thank you to everyone who supported us during Give Local by donating, sharing, volunteering and following our journey on social media. We also want to thank the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound for hosting this incredible online giving campaign.

LEAD and hummingbird studio wouldn't exist without the support of our community and we're humbled each day by all of your love, creativity, and openness. We're so excited to continue growing with all of you!

Thank you!

Today is the last day to Give local. There are over 130 participating organizations that are making our community a better place to live. Learn more about these wonderful groups and how you can get involved:

Give Local 2023 Give Local 2023 is happening now! Explore over 130 nonprofit story pages and direct your meaningful gifts to the causes closest to your heart. Not sure where to give? You can also spread the love around and support all of this year’s participating nonprofits with a gift to the Bonus Fund. Together...

This week we talked about curiosity. What are you curious about? Thanks again Sienna for the theme idea. 💛

Here are just some of your answers:

Where does Grandma keep getting all of this candy?
What are our pets and all animals thinking?
How will I age?
Where there ever be peace?
What's for dinner?
Space
Sharks
Why am I so curious?
What will my grandchildren be like?





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“ The LEAD program has truly enriched my life. It’s been an experience that has changed me and has made me understand the value of community and friendship with an entirely new lens.”

-Former tutor

Watching our pairs develop friendships while learning from each other is one of the most rewarding parts of this unique program. Each person leaves the experience changed.

Your support will keep the LEAD program growing. Please consider donating to our Give Local campaign: bit.ly/hummingbird-lead

Our friends at South Sound Parent to Parent are participating in Give Local! South Sound Parent to Parent provides much needed support to families with children with disabilities. Your donation will help them grow their new Autism program, Bright Beginnings which gives essential assistance for children and their families while they wait for a formal autism diagnosis.

Please consider donating today:

https://spsgives.org/o/community-foundation-of-south-puget-sound/i/give-local-2023/s/south-sound-parent-to-parent-dzswkpzdj

One of the best things about the studio is watching people work together on a project. The result always reflects the love put into it. Creating art together also helps us bond in new and unexpected ways. We need welcoming places to connect with others!

Join us for a session, donate or spread the word!

bit.ly/hummingbird-lead

Today is the final Giving Wednesday of Give Local! Those who donate today will automatically be entered into a drawing to win $100 for a participating nonprofit of their choice.

The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound will broadcast the winners on social media by the end of the week. There are so many incredible organizations participating this year who need your help and Giving Wednesday is an opportunity to amplify your gift.

** Winners will receive a follow-up email and the Community Foundation requests that winners respond within two business days to ensure timely distribution.

Everyone has a different way of processing the world. Meeting and embracing people who learn differently contributes to a diverse , compassionate, and more interesting community.

LEAD (Literacy and Education for people with Disabilities) pairs individuals with disabilities with college students for tutoring, but it's so much more than that.
Participating in this program provides an opportunity to promote independence, empathy, and empowerment.

Donate today to keep LEAD free and open to the public.

bit.ly/hummingbird-lead

The look of joy!!! We love our artists and everything they bring to the studio each week. 😍

Look at this art wall! We try to create one wherever we go. It reminds us of every person who stops by and their unique way of expressing themselves. It also show us that every person is an artist and that we can really enjoy the creative process if given the supplies, community, and environment.

Your support keeps our programs growing and free to the public. Please consider donating today: bit.ly/hummingbird-lead

Give Local update: Together we've raised $4,400.We are so close to our goal. Thank you for all of the love.

Another fantastic organization participating in Give Local is the Olympia Arts and Heritage Alliance. Your support can help bring a much needed museum to Olympia that celebrates our artists and culture. For donations of $50 or more you will recieve an 11×14 poster of "Wild" a reproduction of a linoleum block print by Mimi Williams.

Please support OLYAHA Olympia Art & Heritage Alliance by donating to the Give Local campaign. For donations of $50 or more you will receive a 11”x14” poster of “Wild” a reproduction of a linoleum block print by Mimi Williams. Your donation could help bring a museum to downtown Olympia! www.spsgives.org #givelocalsps

Kokua Services' LEAD and hummingbird studio wouldn't exist without the dedication of our volunteers, staff, artists, community partnerships, tutors, learners and supporters. Your ideas, creativity, and vulnerability continue to transform us and these programs. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!!

The world is a much better place when we feel seen, valued, and included. This week we talked about what makes us feel included and how we can make each other feel like they belong.

Here are just some of your responses:

Awareness of our shared humanity
Meeting others where they are
Open ended questions
Collaboration
Positive regard
Greeting
Listening!
Food
Smiles
Eye contact
Treating others as your own
Acknowledging and celebrating our differences
Not trying to change anyone

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There are so many wonderful organizations participating in Give Local this year and we'd like to highlight a few close to our hearts over the next 8 days.

Thurston County Inclusion's mission is to provide opportunities for individuals of all abilities to create, build and strengthen relationships that will last a lifetime. They are almost to their Give Local goal! Let's show them some love and follow, donate if we can and share their fundraising link: shorturl.at/bepu6

We're getting closer to our goal! Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared our fundraising link, follows us on social media, and continues to volunteer! 💛❤️💗

We love LEAD (Literacy and Education for people with Disabilities)! This program is a partnership between Kokua Services and the Center for Community Based Learning and Action (CCBLA) at The Evergreen State College. In this program, college students are paired with adults with disabilities to study any topic they choose. Over time, these pairs bond and everyone leaves the experience with open hearts and minds. Many students who have been in this program have gone on to have careers in social work, disability justice, and therapy.

This will be LEAD's 14th year! We are so thankful for your donations, support, and participation because it allows this program to survive and grow.

Please consider donating via the link in our bio or spreading the word about LEAD.

Today is the first Giving Wednesday of Give Local!

Those who donate today and next Wednesday will automatically be entered into a drawing to win $100 for a participating nonprofit of their choice. Link to donate is in our bio.

The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound ( ) will broadcast the winners on social media by the end of the week.

There are so many incredible organizations participating this year who need your help and Giving Wednesday is an opportunity to amplify your gift.


*Winners will recieve a follow-up email and The Community Foundation requests that winners respond within two business days to ensure timely distribution

People with disabilities are often defined by what they can't do and are seen as problems to be solved. When speaking to and about them we often fail to see complete, complex human beings.

Inclusive, accessible spaces can help change this way of thinking and communicating by providing the opportunity for people to be truly seen and embraced for who they are.

LEAD and hummingbird studio provide the opportunity to meet others, open our hearts and create a stronger, more diverse community.

Donate now: bit.ly/hummingbird-lead

One of my favorite things about the studio is watching people collaborate on a project. Look at them!

The joy was contagious and served as a reminder that art brings people together. ✨️

Follow the link in our bio to learn more about the studio and how you can get involved.

Today is the first day of Give Local. We're so thankful to the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound for organizing such an important fundraiser.

There are so many wonderful organizations involved this year that are making our community a kinder, more creative place to live.

Both of Kokua’s community programs are participating this year under the same campaign. We believe that inclusive, accessible spaces and opportunities to bond with people you many not otherwise meet is the cornerstone of an environment where we can all thrive. We need your help to keep these programs growing.

Here is the link to donate and learn more about our campaign:
https://spsgives.org/o/community-foundation-of-south-puget-sound/i/give-local-2023/s/kokua-services-bspvtnlax

Thank you, Sienna for guiding us through two lovely, accessible chair yoga sessions!

Seeing everyone's excitement and peace was much needed.

We'll definitely do more of these in the future.

Our weekly theme was all about treats. What are your favorites? How do you treat yourself and others? Here are just a few ofnyour responses:

Naps
Cheese
Solitude
Books
Nice restaurants
Baths
Chocolate
Spoiling our pets
Concerts

Thank you, for the lovely art supply donation! ❤️

Chair yoga is tomorrow.Thank you to everyone who has registered.

Please remember to wear comfortable clothes and bring anything you may need to feel your best.

See you then!

Give Local is November 6th-17th!

This is a wonderful way to discover new local nonprofits, learn about resources, and find opportunities to volunteer.

Both hummingbird studio and LEAD will be participating this year under the same campaign.

Your ongoing support and love keep these community programs free and accessible to the public. Please donate, volunteer, or spread the word if you can. 💗

We had too much fun yesterday and on Zoom today. Thank you for joining us and we hope you have a happy Halloween!

Look at these costumes!

Just a reminder that you're welcome to wear a costume tomorrow if you're joining us on Zoom.

We had a lot of fun getting creative with you this week.

Our theme was gratitude and your answers were a touching reminder of the love we have in our community. Here is what you're thankful for:

Family and friends
Pets
Music
Shelter
Hummingbird studio
Baths
Forgiveness
Chocolate
Caffeine
Sleep
Medicine
More pets
Nature
Small moments with loved ones