ARTbulance for communities wellbeing

ARTbulance Powered by New Step 4 U



The feeling of isolation and depression fills Jack's empty room where he gazes out the window silently; birds chirping is the only sound in the distance. Wondering if things will ever go back to the way they used to be, Jack Lynch celebrates his 72nd birthday in the senior home alone. Jack, lost in his thoughts, feels trapped. Jack had nothing to do and no one to see; he misses his family dearly. The coronavirus pandemic causes pain and chaos in people's lives.

Hundreds of millions of people have been affected by this horrendous disease. The world is empty, filled with despair. Separation from everyone leaves a big hole in Jack’s heart. His smile brightly appears across his face when his son Justin makes his daily phone calls. Justin is also depressed because he’s not able to see his dad, so he wants to do something to make him content again. When Justin was young, his dad would always teach him new dance moves; it keeps Jack lively and feeling young again. Missing Jack’s birthday took a toll on Justin because their birthdays were crucial to them. 


A couple of days after Jack’s birthday, Justin reaches out to New Step 4 U . The ARTbulance has all of the power and makes Jack feel young again, singing and dancing, feeling alive and seldomly alone.  



The Backstory


After a firsthand experience with trauma, Marina Mais, the mastermind behind New Step 4 U, found herself unable to go back to her ordinary world. She was lost and incapable of moving forward in her life. However, the one constant thing in Marina’s life was that she was an artist, a dancer, a creator. Her inherent desire to make art took her along a process of healing. A valuable conclusion Marina made was that if the simple act of creating art was able to put her along the path of healing, it would work for other people in similar situations as well, so the creation of the New Step 4 U was developed.  


New Step 4 U  gives people the tools to create, to express, and ultimately throughout the process, to heal. The ARTbulance was developed because of a group of passionate artists who believe that they must do whatever they can to support those in need regardless of who they were or where they came from. The ARTbulance provides a platform for the public to learn how to take care of their mental health and wellness.


In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness or addiction problem. By the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have—or have had—a mental illness. Young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience mental illness and/or substance use disorders than any other age group. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has the latest facts and statistics  on mental health amongst people today. New Step 4 U is a huge advocate in reducing these statistics.     


The Costs

We are raising money for the ARTbulance and our goal is $30,000. Below is how we plan to distribute our money for this campaign:


$8000 - four-season pop-up tents (12 pcs)
$3000 - 12 heater units
$2000 - PPE and sanitizing
$10,000 - Video streaming equipment, tables, chairs, VR individual sets, other equipment and art supplies
$4000 - Vehicle wrapping
$3000 - 100pcs of Mental First Aid Kits for participants

We appreciate your potential support and can't thank our donors enough for their partnership in this vision. We truly couldn’t do it without you. To help get the word out, you can share the link to your Facebook Timeline.


How You Can Help

The ARTbulance is a mobile Art-On-Wheels initiative that brings creative arts to your communities and neighbourhood to keep you well. It can aid in recovery from illness and support individuals to live longer, healthier lives. ARTbulance provides a platform for the public to learn how to take care of their mental health and wellness. Now more than ever, we need to find ways to rebuild communities and bring people together. COVID-19 rules and regulations will be in effect to protect participants. Wearing masks and gloves and social-distancing will be implemented while we serve seniors who are most affected in these times. 


Canadian Government Guidelines 


COVID-19 has brought upon many hardships, and it has forced many family members to end visits to parents and grandparents or stop visiting older loved ones at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. According to the written guidelines from the Canadian Government to prevent COVID-19, there will be precise rules to follow. There will only be eight seniors allowed in a group. Pop-up tents are used to separate the groups as well as keeping a distance from one another. These pop-up tents also allow New Step 4 U to deliver programs throughout all of the seasons.  


About the Programs


There will be three different program options for people with various needs, and these will occur one day a week for 90 minutes, totalling four weeks. Some mediums the ARTbulance is offering in the programs include memories mandala, expressive movement, 3D pen art, virtual reality, improv, or engaging games. The ARTbulance will not only support senior homes. This program will assist children with developmental disabilities, anyone with physical or mental issues, recovering people from car accidents, depression, and social anxiety. The ARTbulance will allow them to have a personal space for creative expression. 


There are many available options for artists to showcase their talents. Whether it’s a musician, singer, stand-up comedy, theatre, yoga/dance classes, the ARTbulance will support it by providing the artists with a mobile spot for them to shine and please their audience. The ARTbulance helps break the stigma about mental health. The more we talk about the importance of mental health, the more attention it will get, especially when doing it through art. The ARTbulance will help rebuild the community and break isolation from the struggles COVID-19 brought into the world.


Updates

New Step 4 U also has some new updates we would like to share. The ARTbulance vehicle is purchased, and the program is ready.