....And We're Off

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The Stewardship Project

Wellness Without Borders
Sponsored by 
Healing Arts Institute, Inc.

Thursday May 26, 2011

About Us - Who We Are - What We Have done - Where We Are Going

Healing Arts Institute, Inc.

Exchanging Living Ideas

 

95 West Stafford Road; Rt. 190

Stafford Springs, CT  06076

CT (860) 684-3184

VT (802) 368-2571

maryella1@earthlink.net  

     Healing Arts Institute, Inc. was incorporated in 1987, as a 501(3)c, non-profit corporation, in response to a community need for access to alternative health care, education and information.  With few exceptions, Healing Arts Institute has chosen to rely solely on the generosity of the practitioners involved in our community programs and the members of the population we serve.  We have elected, as our goal, to operate with little or no money, preferring to rely on the power of individuals to make a difference and promote the Institutes’ goals.  Our time and energy is focused on the actual “work” in the neighborhoods. Our objective is to be the non-profit that operates on minimal administrative funding.  

     At our clinics, practitioners donate all or part of their time to clients who would otherwise not have access to needed, alternative health modalities.  Although small in number and scope, the Institute is a hundred per cent focused on making a difference, one that cannot be measured in dollars.  Rather, it succeeds because those involved present a sincere community spirit that is the driving force behind our achievements.  

     Healing Arts Institute further defines "health" as Wellness Without Borders and includes our the community's health as a whole.  The Institute sponsors a goods exchange program where we oversee a recycling program to promote this concept.  In this program, we do not pay for goods and the recipient does not buy the goods.  Much of the fiscal expenses are absorbed by the Healing Arts practitioners, as part of their contribution to the Institute’s goal.  We do not question the recipient’s need or fiscal “qualification,” which can demoralize an already disheartened population. As all our programs are based on trust, we believe that when someone asks for help, help is needed.  Over the past years this trust has never been abused and our standing in the community is respected.  One cannot put a dollar value on a framework based on confidence and conviction.  As a result, this minimalist approach has afforded us the ability to focus on our goals in a realistic manner, with little or no overhead and administrative cost.

     This course of action, though limited in it’s scale, does not limit our capacity to improve community involvement.  We use our time to “achieve” our goals.  As a result, Healing Arts Institute has become known for its ability to network – connecting clients with appropriate practitioners, without charge.  We have become the organization to call when there is a health need, an educational resource need, goods need or a need for a place to leave goods to be recycled, knowing that they will go to a local neighbor and be used.

     There are several steps that we have laid down in the design of our building matrix for the goods exchange program.  The latest stage has been joining the "Good360" program.<http://www.good36.com>  Good360 is a non profit directory of retail stores who register with them.  Good360 then offers this list of stores to non profits who qualify to receive the goods from that store for one year.  For an annual fee Healing Arts Institute, Inc. can be "adopted" by that retail store, receiving items that are season, returns, damaged but serviceable and so on.  We purchased HomeDepot in Enfield, CT as well as the Pottery Barn in South Windsor.  Through the generosity of our friends and neighbors, we raised both fees - $600 and $250 respectively.  In mid June, we will meet with each store and work out the particulars.  This is truly a big jump for us, going from whatever people drop by on our doorstep to picking up building items and machines from Home Depot and household items from the Pottery Barn.  It required that we get storage space, which we did.  The community we serve is in southern Vermont and in northern Connecticut.  Both areas are gathering volunteers to promote and execute the program.  In the coming weeks and months, we will work out the kinks and streamline the process for a smooth run.  

What we need from you:

1. Your needs list - a "wish" list" if you like
2. You spread the word to your neighbors 
3. Let us know what You can do for the program 
4. When you can, send a donation to continue to pay for the expenses only of this program.  Like gas   for the vehicles that pick up the merchandise.