LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- UofL Hospital is bringing art therapy into the community in the hopes of reducing gun violence.
Tuesday evening, UofL celebrated its six-month partnership with the 50/50 Mentoring Collaborative, which focused on Louisville's west end.
Licensed art therapists worked with at-risk youth, helping them process trauma through art and hopefully get them out of the cycle of violence.
Organizers said bringing this type of program to people, versus it being housed inside the hospital, can have transformative effects.
"So how do we heal? How do we move forward? And using art to do that, art comes in many shapes and forms, but with UofL we have licensed therapists, art therapists, that come in that actually do creative things, and people don't know that they're actually getting the therapy they need as well, and also they're healing, they're doing it together, so being in community it's like we're all together, we're all healing together, versus dealing with it individually at home alone," said Nicole Hayden, founder of 50/50 Mentoring Collaborative.
Throughout the program, those impacted by trauma were invited to participate in monthly art healing workshops. Workshops included art therapy, group dance, mentorship and entrepreneurship topics.
The program served 122 neighbors over the six-month period.
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