Candle
Tmuffin, a Wilmington, NC creative playspace and center for kids and parents, is putting together boxes of heart art to bring hope and love to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School following the tragedy that occurred there on December 14. Gaby Merediz, the owner of Tmuffin, grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, just a few towns away from Newtown. Her husband was born and raised in Newtown, and the devastating event hit the close-knit community hard.
“How could this happen to innocent children and their families, especially around the holidays?” wondered Merediz. “Nothing but family and love seem important anymore when something like this happens.” As she wrote on her personal Facebook page, “What is wrong with the world?” It’s easy to be filled with a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness during a time like this, and Merediz wants to replace those feelings with a massive inundation of love.
Tmuffin will be having kids create heart-based art at its Play Cafes this week, which will be held on Tuesday, December 18, and Friday, December 21, from 9am to 12pm. Local families can bring their kids to the Play Café, which costs $6 for up to three hours of open play and arts and crafts. (The fee from these Play Cafes will go toward art supplies and shipping of the Boxes of Love).
Local families who cannot attend a Play Café can still get involved. Kids can spend some quality time with their parents this week and make some heart-based artwork. Parents can talk to their child’s teacher at school, preschool, or daycare and tell them about the Boxes of Love campaign. Parents and teachers can drop the artwork off at Tmuffin at 2133 Wrightsville Avenue in Wilmington, or Merediz will arrange for pickup and shipping of any artwork created.
For families who want to help but don’t live in Wilmington, Merediz will help groups pay to ship their boxes. Those who are interested in helping with the Boxes of Love campaign can find out more at http://tmuffin.com/ boxesoflove/. Boxes of Love can be shipped to the Newtown Bee (the local newspaper), until further notice:
The Bee Publishing Company
For Sandy Hook Elementary
5 Church Hill Road
Newtown, CT 06470
