DreamKey Partners, in collaboration with NeighborWorks America, hosted a creative arts contest as part of the NeighborWorks Week celebrations. By embracing the theme of “Empowering Communities for Success,” we amplified the voices of our residents and shined a spotlight on the immense impact they have on their communities. Through artistic expression – paintings, drawings, photography, poetry, or even short films – residents were able to explore and express what empowerment and success mean to them personally, as well as how they envision these concepts flourishing within their communities.
To engage participants, DreamKey Partners and NeighborWorks America distributed flyers and encouraged residents to submit their creative arts entries, aligning with the theme of “Empowering Communities for Success.”
This year’s winner was Vanessa Foster, a resident of Crown Court Senior Apartments. “Entering the art contest made me feel like a kid again. As I pondered what to create, my mind wandered to singing, writing poems, or crafting scripts-talents I had showcased in pageants. Yet, amidst it all, my flower garden emerged, silently nurturing my soul with boundless joy,” said Vanessa. “With love as my nourishment and whispered conversations as my guiding light, my blossoms grew, becoming my precious babies. I realized others, too, could experience this profound connection and be touched just as I have been.”
The content award was made possible by Dwight Crawford, VP of Community Lending at Regions Bank. With his generous $1000 donation to the creative arts contest, participants were able to express themselves creatively, supporting DreamKey Partners and NeighborWorks America’s mission for community development and empowerment.
“Creative expression plants the seed that you can make your thoughts and dreams a reality,” said Dwight. “It is one of the first places as a child where they can take an idea and make it into a tangible reality and learn that the things we create can be revised and improved along the way. Those with the ability to do that are often the leaders and shapers of this country. Our intention was to provide an opportunity for that seed to be planted and nurtured.”
