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Hello Dear Reader :

Change the world--one child at a time! Your monetary contribution, no matter the amount, will enable a special needs child to benefit from the Art Sparks^© experience and is tax deductible, too! Avillion serves humanity and the environment as an educational organization by donating Art Sparks, an art and nature therapy program, to special needs children as a community outreach. These special needs children, who have multi-faceted handicaps, receive the therapy at their local schools.
Art Sparks is an innovative way of combining art and nature as therapy for special needs children. Art Sparks offers fun arts and crafts activities that address the child's entire emotional well-being. Art Sparks stimulates their intuitive nature and inspires their sense of creativity in a calming way through art activities tailored to the specific needs of the children. Experience with the natural world is necessary for lasting results. Direct interaction with nature can produce an individualized, natural focus that makes it easier for each child to express his/her uniqueness in an ongoing, productive way.

To this aim, Avillion is developing the Sanctuary of Mont Salvat, a holistic nature retreat for special needs children and their siblings. The Sanctuary of Mont Salvat is located on 30 acres that have been made available to Avillion. At the Sanctuary of Mont Salvat special needs children will interact with the world of nature and have access to artistic and creative activities/programs within the natural setting of the wildlife habitat. All buildings will reflect simplicity, blend with the natural environment, and display environmental consciousness in use and design.

Art Sparks opens the door to new self-expression opportunities for special needs children. Art is a powerful communication medium; it sparks the imagination, bridges language barriers, and provides healing with love. Nature is art, too, and art itself is a natural expression from the heart. Thus, combining both elements makes it possible to open hearts and minds to larger possibilities.
Avillion would not be a complete entity without animals. All animal- and art-focused activities promote healing of individual fear, not only for the special needs children, but also for the animals. A horse farm will play a major role in the sanctuary along with other animals. Animal interaction has a therapeutic effect, and horses in particular have a profound healing effect on the varying levels of the human psyche. The farm experience will bring the mind into the heart, turning intellectual activity into a natural relationship based on nonverbal communication. The horse farm also will serve as a retirement home for some of the animals. The mountain Sanctuary of Mont Salvat will offer classes, workshops, retreats and a variety of therapeutic activities at minimal cost or. as needed, are gifted.

When schools are closed during the summer, Art Sparks. will provide activities for special needs children who are, at that time totally dependent on their parents for enrichment. Future plans include a summer camp for inner city special needs youth from multi-cultural backgrounds.

Currently, Avillion has the resources to offer Art Sparks to only 34 of the 709 special needs children located in Warren County, Virginia. The reaction to this inaugural program has been so positive that Avillion has been requested not only to continue this program, but also to make it available to all the special needs children in this community. A fifth grade learning disability teacher expressed her enthusiasm for the program,

Who knows how much you've assisted my students in understanding spacing, geometric figures, texture, balance, lighting, and line weight, just by working with them in a creative context?
Avillion's goal is to provide this service to all of the special needs children in the local community schools. The Sanctuary of Mont Salvat also will solve the space limitation problem in several local community schools for Art Sparks classes.

Avillion of Universal Insight is a non profit 501(c)(3) charity and raises its own funds. Your contribution will enable Avillion to continue gifting Art Sparks to special needs children and to develop its home base-the Sanctuary of Mont Salvat. An investment in Avillion ensures the continuation of Art Sparks classes and enables the organization to generate revenues through the ongoing development of the Sanctuary at Mont Salvat and its available services. On behalf of Avillion, I look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have.

Thank you sincerely,

Ingrid Jolly-Trayfors and Glenda Mikulak 

Co-Founders of Art Sparks, and

the Art Sparks Team

with all its Special Children! 
 

Tel.: (540) 636-7798 - E-mail:avillion@avillion.org

Mailing Address: AVILLION OF UNIVERSAL INSIGHT, CORP.

Ingrid Jolly-Trayfors, President

P.O. Box 517, Linden, VA 22642