The Joel Fund to Receive Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant

Wake Forest, NC – The Joel Fund is one of 41 organizations nationwide selected to receive a Creative Forces® Community Engagement grant in the support of The Joel Fund’s Operation ART monthly clay workshops for veterans with visual impairment in partnership with the local VA. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants are part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces® initiative and are in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance.

“These Creative Forces projects provide important opportunities for military-connected individuals and communities to improve resilience and well-being through arts engagement,” said Maria Rosario

Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Arts and culture are essential to healing, creating connections, and developing healthy communities where all people can realize their full potential.”

Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. The Creative Forces Community Engagement projects serve a broad population of military-connected people, including active-duty service members, guardsmen, reservists, veterans, military and veteran families, as well as caregivers and healthcare workers providing care for military service members and veterans.

After conducting a successful pilot program earlier this year, The Joel Fund’s Operation ART program will provide monthly hand-building clay workshops for visually impaired veterans in partnership with the Durham VA Recreational Therapy Department. Each workshop will feature varying projects so participants can attend any or all workshops throughout the year. This opportunity will enhance social connectedness, foster creative expression for veterans with visual impairments, and strengthen The Joel Fund’s outreach through inclusive programming.

“With these newest Creative Forces projects, we will continue to see how engaging with art creates a path for emotional expression and provides a sense of community and connection, making it a vital component of holistic health care,” said Todd Stein, president and CEO of Mid-America Arts Alliance. “We’re honored to partner with the National Endowment for the Arts to bring these opportunities to new military-connected communities across the country.”

By providing opportunities for engaging in art or art-making, The Joel Fund seeks to help participants gain a better understanding of themselves and others through creative expression, while increasing their sense of belonging to our community. Participation in the arts often leads to individual and shared sense of purpose, as well as positive self-worth, supporting their ability to adapt and readjust to life’s challenges.

For more information on other projects included in this grant announcement as well as resources for arts engagement with military-connected populations, visit creativeforcesnrc.arts.gov.