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Former Gang Members gave a Heart for Haiti

Organization Name:
PanZOu Project, Inc
City & State:
, 
Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
The Hearts for Haiti logo illustrates how youths wanting to put their skills to work for the victims of Haiti with the use of Adobe Creative Suite programs turns into a beautiful thing. The PanZOu Project is a non-profit agency whose mission is to prevent gang & youth violence. PanZOu provides prevention and intervention services to youths involved in a gang. PanZOu recently launched a screen-printing and embroidery shop that provides its young people with a nurturing place they learn new skills designing and print production. All funds raised by the shop are reinvested into the non-profit, which continues to provide free prevention and intervention services to local residents at no cost. After the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, PanZOu clients felt the need to help in some meaningful way. With the use of the Adobe program, PanZOu clients felt that they were doing their part to be apart of the growing response to help the people of Haiti.
What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
The Hearts for Haiti logo was created using Adobe Illustrator by a group of former gang members who utilize the skills they learn regarding Illustrator to raise money for the earthquake victims of Haiti. The logo allowed one community of youths to put their heads to together to help a suffering community that their parents came from many years before. The Heart for Haiti logo was screen-printed on white shirts and tanks, and sold for $20 each. Fifty percent of all the proceeds raised will go to another non-profit agency currently in Haiti that is providing vital assistance to the Haitian people. The remaining 50% percent goes towards funding the non-profit so that it is able to continue providing prevention services to deter young people from joining gangs and interventions services to assist young people wanting to escape the gang life. So far, the PanZOu clients have raised $1,500 for relief efforts.
How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
The Hearts for Haiti submission has had two great impacts thus far. The first being the funds raised to help the people of Haiti for food and shelter. The second impact is the hope and inspiration this creative process had provided to PanZOu clients. The clients now believe that they can do anything in their lives as long as they stay positive. This has also illustrated to our young people that it only takes a few small steps to make a genuine and meaningful impact to the lives of their fellow human being. We know that this would not have been possible with the using of the Adobe Illustrator program.