Around Town … with Robert Airold:Local students heartfelt art donations help children in Peru

Published in the November 29 – December 12, 2017 issue of Gilroy Life

Photo courtesy Art Your Heart Out
Art Your Heart Out students with some of the art supplies given away.

Congratulations to all those who are part of Art Your Heart Out, a high school student-run organization whose members provide community service using visual arts and develop their talents so they can serve others at a high level. The organization was founded in 2015 by current senior Renee Gastelum at Oakwood High School in Morgan Hill. Within three years, branches of AYHO were started at seven schools that encompass District 1, including Ann Sobrato, Christopher, GECA, Gilroy, Live Oak, Oakwood, and San Benito high schools. The organization currently includes 97 high school students.

AYHO recently completed their District 1 project where students made art care packages for underprivileged children in South America. Their goal was to assemble 100 care packages to send to underprivileged children in El Bichito, Peru. Students were motivated to serve because children in this area are often unable to receive an education due to family obligations such as caring for younger siblings or working. To execute this international project, members collaborated with nonprofit Eagle Condor, which has several centers in South America that provide basic needs such as education and medicine.

Club members created and collected coloring books, colored pencils, and stickers. On the day of the event, students wrote notes in Spanish to the children in El Bichito. The AYHO members assembled 127 care packages, exceeding their goal.

To learn more about AYHO’s upcoming projects, visit www.ayhoservice.org or follow AYHO @ayhodistrict1 on Instagram. Congratulations, kids, on a job well done.

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Cathy Mirelez with certificate.

Mattie Scariot, outgoing chair of Gilroy’s Arts and Cultural Commission, wanted to publicly praise commission supervisor Cathy Mirelez. Recently, Adam Henig took Cathy’s place. At the Nov. 14 meeting the commission acknowledged her 19 years as the ACC city staff representative.

“Cathy has always been the commission’s champion,” Scariot said. “She has supported us and encouraged us to achieve our goals. Her hard work and dedication to the arts in Gilroy is unparalleled, she is so passionate about encouraging children and adults to follow their passion in the arts and it has inspired so many to work hard with her.”

Scariot said she personally learned so much from Cathy over the years. Whenever the commission needed anything she was there. She encouraged commissioners and brainstormed with them on how to promote and build the arts and culture in the community. She is one of the reasons the ACC has achieved so much.

The presentation was especially an important award for Scariot because it was her last day on the commission after almost 10 years.

Here’s what Cathy said about receiving the award.

“Over these many years it has been my honor and privilege to watch city government in action, and to work alongside some wonderful commission members.  Not only have you supported recreation arts programming, but together we’ve accomplished some amazing projects, which have helped to promote and further the arts in our community.  Thank you so much for this award and for the recognition — it means more to me than you’ll ever know!”

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Gilroy residents are generous with their time, talent and treasure to help nonprofit programs in Garlic City. And Vicki Campanella, development director with the Gilroy Foundation, asked us to let organizations know that its annual grant cycle opens Dec. 1. This is a chance for all nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) status, Gilroy Unified School district schools and Gilroy city programs to apply for a grant that will serve the local community. Since 1982, the foundation has awarded more than $7.4 million in grants and scholarships that have made a positive and powerful difference.

It’s easy to apply. Just download a current grant application, available at www.gilroyfoundation.org. Grant application, supporting documentation and copies must be submitted to the Foundation by posted mail, postmarked no later than Jan. 31.

Organizations are notified of their status by the end of March. Contact [email protected] with any questions about the grant application process. Good luck, all nonprofits and schools that apply this year.