Creative Embers

Help us complete our Midwest Broken Mirror Project series! On May 1st, we head off on our last production tour to capture the remaining stories of 11 people across the Midwest. Your support will:
- Provide lodging for a human trafficking survivor
- Ensure safe studio spaces and equipment for filming
- Gas us up so we can travel through 8 states in 10 days!


Support Now:

The Midwest Broken Mirror Project A traveling visual series exploring body image through gender, culture, trauma, and ability. | Check out 'The Midwest Broken Mirror Project' on Indiegogo.

Out here educating via the arts @ the Mid Michigan Human Trafficking event today! Come grab a custom scented fire starter 🔥

Come join us and learn about what's happening with Human Trafficking in MidMichigan. We'll be there from 9-11am!

Hey! Please meet our Board member Erica: Erica Marra is an event professional and corporate fundraiser based in metro Detroit, Mich. She currently works as the Corporate Engagement & Events Manager for the metro Detroit food rescue, Forgotten Harvest. In the past, Erica has served as the lead talent buyer for the entertainment promoter, The Crofoot Presents, and has worked in various roles in radio, documentary film, and the music industry. Erica is also a board member for the Dearborn - Dearborn Heights chapter of the League of Women Voters and is passionate about projects to end violence against women and promote social equity.

Continuing to welcome and highlight our new board members! Meet Bianca Stepanyan. Bianca was born in Mexico and grew up as a migrant worker in the United States. She graduated from Michigan State University (MSU) with a degree in psychology. She is passionate about social justice and is an advocate for ending violence against women. In undergrad, she volunteered as a crisis line worker and as an in-person medical advocate at the former Michigan State University Sexual Assault Program (MSU SAP). Upon graduation, she worked with undocumented and unaccompanied minors in the juvenile justice system. Still, her life’s calling and devotion to helping others had her returning to work as a staff member for the MSU SAP. For over five years, she recruited and trained program volunteers and campus and community partners in crisis intervention, provided crisis counseling, and provided advocacy for the university community. Her final advocacy position was in the Michigan State University Office of Institutional Equity. She was the Accommodation Specialist and worked to ensure students, faculty, and staff who experienced discrimination and sexual violence had the tools necessary to succeed.

While advocacy was fulfilling, she desired to master her craft and enrolled in the MSU Clinical Social Work graduate program. COVID interrupted her coursework, and she is currently enjoying being a stay-at-home madre to her three sons, one dog, and one cat. She plans to return to MSU to complete her degree and obtain her Master’s in Social Work.

We have an amazing new Board full of passionate artists, activists, and social workers. Today I'd like to introduce you to our new member, Andrea Norton!
**Andrea is a United States Air Force Veteran and Licensed Master Social Worker at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw, MI. Prior to working at the VA, Andrea served in the USAF for 8 ½ years as an intelligence analyst and mobile instructor. Ms. Norton left the Air Force in 2007 to pursue her education, earning her BSW and MSW at Michigan State University (Go Green!). She has worked with and advocated for underserved Veterans her entire career as a Housing Specialist, Intensive Case Manager, LGBTQ Veteran Care Coordinator, Women Veteran Program Manager, and most recently, as a Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinator on the Su***de Prevention Team. She is passionate about working with communities to help promote a public health approach to su***de prevention and increase awareness of the rich diversity in the Veteran community.

Join us in promoting our projects and amazing stories! Applications for our Winter/Spring 2023 internship are open.

- 5hrs/week
- Unlimited coffee & bagels
- Virtual/Remote
- Available for School Credit

Learn More @ https://www.creativeembersnonprofit.org/internships

Congrats to the artists and team of The Great Mural Project in Saginaw, MI, for receiving our 2022 'Fan the Flame' Grant! The Great Mural Project comprises a group of engaged and connected Saginaw City lovers who believe every great city needs art, music, and cultural events. We enrich our community by transforming eyesores or forgotten spaces with beautiful murals and community art installations. With meetings starting in 2017, the first mural was installed in 2018, and 35 murals have been installed since then. Most recently, GMP installed 15 utility box murals in coordination with the City of Saginaw, spreading art further into Riverfront Saginaw. The ‘Fan the Flame’ Grant will support the installation of two additional utility box murals in Riverfront Saginaw painted by artists that identify as members of the LGBTQ+. The design will include QR codes to the websites of the two primary regional LGBTQ+ support organizations, GLB Pride and PFLAG, offering support and community for individuals and their families.

Congrats to Alfield Reeves of Grand Rapids, MI for being one of two recipients this year for our 'Fan the Flame' Grant. Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Alfield Reeves is a self-taught freelance editorial and portrait photographer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He specializes in creating work that encourages self-reflection and expression, promotes equitable action, and showcases the identity and culture of black & brown people. His images are warm, quiet, and bold. They bridge traditional divides between photojournalism, portraiture, and fashion.

We're honored to help fund his upcoming photo series!

We have a killer intern this fall! Meet Brianna Corrion: originally from Saginaw, MI, is a Senior at Grand Valley State University,
majoring in Film and Video. Through her time in the Grand Valley Film Program, she has found a love for producing and assistant directing, which brought her to this internship. As a
production assistant for Creative Embers, she assists with subject outreach and market research for the Midwest Broken Mirror Project.

This work is important to Brianna because of the positive impact that it will have on middle schoolers in the Midwest. Having diverse programs surrounding body image is
missing in so many schools, but it can have an incredible impact on students struggling with body image. She is also passionate about the Midwest Broken Mirror Project because it
showcases a wide variety of stories regarding body image, providing a platform for those very important voices that we do not hear enough of.

We’re in Detroit today speaking with the National Association of Women Judges about what Human Trafficking looks like in the courtroom.

One of the Covid-19 survivors from our series needs your help. Imagine spending your days visiting multiple doctors for two years and no longer being able to work or make ends meet. This battle is not over.

Jeramie Mangus: Road to Recovery , organized by Hillary Follick Frontline workers, like Jeramie, dedicated their lives in service to others and got… Hillary Follick needs your support for Jeramie Mangus: Road to Recovery

So many great applications came through for our first 'Fan the Flame' mini-grant! We are grateful to have such tough choices ahead of us and so many amazing people using the arts for activism in Michigan. Stay tuned next week for the announcement!

The U.S. Department of Labor is asking Long-Covid survivors what they need. Read the C-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project's recommendations and make your voice heard!

https://www.longhauler-advocacy.org/c-19lap-recommendations-to-dol?utm_campaign=b062c8cd-ed28-45b5-8b74-384365c3d97f&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=03ad79d9-7587-4458-a356-3161cdf2eda3

C-19LAP Recommendations to DOL | Covid 19 Longhauler The Department of Labor has opened an online dialogue, “Understanding and Addressing Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” to help DOL and its partners better understand workplace challenges and minimize the employment and financial struggles that can result from Long COVID.

We're launching our first Mini-Grant for Michigan artists and artistic projects this year! Are you currently working on a creative project that addresses an important social or environmental issue? Do you have an idea for a piece of artistic activism that needs start-up funding? Apply @ https://www.creativeembersnonprofit.org/grants

Grants — Creative Embers 2022 Grants    The ‘Fan the Flame’ mini-grant is an annual grant for independent artists/artistic projects or nonprofit organizations with a maximum asking amount of $1000. Grant funds may supplement partial project expenses and do not need to cover the complete costs of submitted projects. El...

Our newest Summer Intern: Meet Nifemi, a rising senior studying psychology and political science at the University of Michigan. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Nifemi moved to the United States a few years ago. She is an aspiring law school candidate and is passionate about social reform. She will be working with Creative Embers this summer as an intern, offering support on the Midwest Broken Mirror Project. Nifemi is excited to address important issues in a unique way throughout her internship. Go Blue!

Our first Summer Internship Program kicked off last week! Meet Sydney, a senior at Saginaw Valley State University studying Professional/Technical Writing and Theatre. We asked her "Why Creative Embers?" and she had a beautiful and personal response:

"Creative Ember’s mission of creativity as a tool of healing speaks to me in many ways. I have always been described as a creative, empathetic person who strives to help anyone and everyone. I began writing as a way to heal from events happening in my childhood, and I’ve continued to use it as a way to express myself in an honest, unapologetic way. Writing has helped me grow into my own person who is not afraid to speak out against injustice. I was drawn specifically to the Midwest Broken Mirror Project because of my intense battle with severe body dysmorphia as well as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. When I find myself in a creative zone, I dive headfirst and put my all into whatever it is. Because of The Broken Mirror Project, I know that this nonprofit's mission will help me accept myself in more ways than I could ever anticipate." - Sydney

A look at our new partnership in a global project researching trauma and developing Mind-Body tools to guide practitioners and health officials.

https://www.creativeembersnonprofit.org/global-trauma-processing-project

Global Trauma Processing Project — Creative Embers Global Trauma Processing ProjectResearching and documenting how various cultures and indigenous groups process and respond to trauma. The GTPP (Global Trauma Processing Project) is a research-based mini docuseries in collaboration with Kintla Striker of Kintla Mind-Body Global - a proven integrative...

Intimate portraits of a hospital COVID unit from a photojournalist-turned-nurse Alan Hawes hopes his photos of health care workers and COVID patients will show the toll of this pandemic — and persuade the unvaccinated to get their COVID shots.

Important reminders from The Covid-19 Series today about why getting vaccinated is so important! Here's Leah's breakthrough case story:

Leah, a 27-year-old graduate student, experienced a breakthrough case of the Covid-19 Delta variant that knocked her down for six weeks and left her with lingering symptoms. In February, Leah excitedly received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine after a year of taking precautions while virtually working with immunocompromised kids at a boarding school and in-person summer camps. Through her work, she witnessed how challenging and scary the pandemic was for the kids. The vaccine was important to Leah because it provided hope for a return to normalcy for the kids and added protection for Leah and her pre-existing health conditions. After mask mandates were lifted, Leah ventured out a select few times without her mask and tested positive for Covid-19 in July. Symptoms started with a sore throat and congestion, then progressed to extreme fatigue, daily fevers, loss of taste and smell, brain fog, and coughing fits that left her body sore. Even being vaccinated, Leah says she was “pretty decently sick” and could not work or attend class. Leah can’t know for sure how things would have turned out without the vaccine, but she believes it kept her out of the hospital. Now, Leah is back at work and school but has noticed lingering brain fog and, most recently, her hair falling out. This has encouraged her to research and reach out to the “Long Covid” community to see if others have experienced effects for this long - having been vaccinated. Her Covid-19 experience has made her a stronger advocate for the vaccine. While she says that she understands and respects everyone’s beliefs and the hesitancy among groups of people such as pregnant women, she feels we should all be doing our part to respect the health of others.

*Watch her interview @
https://www.creativeembersnonprofit.org/leah

Leah Covid-19 Series — Creative Embers Leah(Interview Conducted September 2021)Leah, a 27-year-old graduate student, experienced a breakthrough case of the Covid-19 Delta variant that knocked her down for six weeks and left her with lingering symptoms. In February, Leah excitedly received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine after a yea...

The Midwest Broken Mirror Project captures Char moments before her gender reassignment surgery at Michigan Medicine University Hospital. *Full Story @ www.brokenmirrorproject.com/Char

An incredible new story of a Covid-19 survivor from the Michigan Series.
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Carla had to be vented and then emergency airlifted to Henry Ford Hospital for ECHMO (essentially life support). She had her last rites given to her, but she miraculously improved after a month of being under. Carla opened her eyes for the first time to see a hospital TV showcasing the attack on the Capitol! Since then, she has been recovering and went to the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan to learn to walk and use her left arm again.
*Her full story at www.creativeembersnonprofit.org/carla

We donated $100 to the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan on her behalf. We're grateful she is here and sharing her experiences with others to combat some of the misinformation.
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[image description: a beautiful woman with short dark hair stands on the brick steps outside of her home. She wears jeans and a leopard print tank top. She seems full of joy and smiles at the camera. ]

Spring Opportunity: If you're interested in recruiting film subjects, partnering with nonprofits that support our causes, or holding a camera on set, then join our internship program!

*Apply @ https://www.creativeembersnonprofit.org/get-involved