Baby Carriers Needed!

We are very excited to work with the teen families for the Close to You/Close to to Me sessions at Caring Network and Battle Creek Alternative Ed. With this program, we will need baby slings, wraps, etc. to share with the families.  If you are willing to donate to this cause all donations are tax deductible.  Thank you for helping us continue our much needed service.

Please Donate to our cause.

Nurturing from the HeART (NFTH) offers expressive arts sessions for the most vulnerable folks in our community. NFTH has partnered with several community agencies such as Caring Network (support for teen mothers). Family & Children's Services (foster care services and respite care), Parent to Parent (offering support for children with disabilities and their families), Ministry With Community (a day shelter and soup kitchen), Healthy Babies/Healthy Start (offers free exercise, education, and case management for families), Lifespan Hospice and others!

Using the arts as our tools (music, art, reading, writing, movement, theater, etc.) each session brings joy, comfort, education, exploration of inner self, and stress reduction to participants. NFTH offers a Lullaby Group (infants and parent/caregiver), Rhythm and Rhyme Group (infants through preschool and parent/caregiver), Empowered Mom=Empowered Family (pregnant women including teen mom's group), and more. We hold our sessions at agencies that we partner with. 

Mothering Mentors are also available. This service provides expressive arts sessions with loving support, including birth support, during the childbearing year for women who live at the poverty level. 

Here are some comments from participants:
This project helps me figure out where I am going--teen mom speaking about the Past, Present and Future art project.
Your music is better than morphine and it doesn't have negative physical side effects!--man in hospice care
Now I sing and rock my baby to sleep and she doesn't cry at nap time anymore.--mom who attends the Lullaby Group
You have taught me how to be a momma--new mom

As we all know, money is tight everywhere, and that is why I am asking for your support in funding this valuable service to the Kalamazoo community. Your tax-deductible contribution of any amount will be greatly appreciated!

Please view our FundrazR campaign below and thank you in advance for supporting Expressive Arts Therapy!
NFTH Fundrazr Campaign

Spring is Here!

Nurturing from the HeART now has a You Tube Channel.  Check out new songs and activities to do with your little ones!
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpm5KZnvbcVGw8HXI2vIdeg?feature=guide

Our latest video is silly time with Daddy!

Silly Song about Feet

Check back for new videos.

Upcoming Events:

We will be at Galesburg Memorial Library, Healthy Babies Healthy Start, and Ministry with Community in Kalamazoo.

Thank you Battle Creek Foundation!

A huge thanks goes to the Battle Creek Foundation for a generous grant that will go towards Nurturing From the HeART's expressive arts program for the terminally ill in Calhoun County. Yea, for the healing powers of music and art for everyone!

Fall is coming!

Latest News:

Over the course of the summer, Nurturing form the HeART has undergone many exciting new changes we want to share with you!

On top of our regular programming we are pleased to announce that we have been awarded the 2012 Early Childhood Reading Grant from Target!  We will be adding a reading program at the Galesburg Memorial Library.  See our Upcoming Events tab for details.

We are also offering individualized Expressive Arts Therapy sessions to anyone interested.  Using Expressive Arts Therapy, Janice Marsh-Prelesnik has worked with autistic children, dementia clients, and hospice care.  The uses for Expressive Arts Therapy are endless.  For more information please see our Expressive Arts Sessions tab on our website.

Nurturing from the HeART has recently teamed up with the Vigil Singers as well.  Vigil singing is a cradle of devotional song that is sung around the bedside of a person who is in any type of major life transition.  Some examples are for new babies and mothers, for people recovering from illness or addictions, for those in nursing homes and hospices, and at homes.  If you are interested in having the Vigil Singers sing for you or would like to volunteer with the Vigil Singers, please see our Vigil Singers tab for information.

Lastly, we have updated our website and added new activity tabs for different age groups so check them out!  We are also on Twitter.com - so be sure to follow us as we will be tweeting lots of fun information for you to have. User name: @NftHeART. You can also follow us on Pintrest: http://pinterest.com/nftheheart/.  There are over two hundred different activates you can do with your kids pinned on our page.  Almost all of the activities are things you can do with little or no expense.  Username: nftheheart.

Have a wonderful fall and we hope to see you at our upcoming events!

Summer Time

Nurturing form the HeART will be taking a break for the month of May from their Saturday classes as we gear up for the summer session!  We are so excited to be offering the next round of Nurturing from the HeART at Upjohn Park.  We hope to see you all there!


Upcoming Summer Session, 2012

Family Activity Hour

Join us for:

● Music

● Arts and Crafts

● Story Time

● Tons of Silly Fun!

Activities for ages newborn—10

Every Saturday in

June, July, and August, 2012

10am—11am

At Upjohn Park

(In case of rain class will be canceled)

At Upjohn Park

Lake St. and Walter St.

across from the Farmers’ Market

This is a Free Family Event. 

Donations are accepted.

Nurturing from the HeART is a

non profit bringing music and the arts into your daily lives!

Activities led by:

Janice Marsh-Prelesnik, MA 

and Rachel Downey, BA

For More Information:

NurturingfromtheHeART.blogspot.com

NurturingfromtheHeART@gmail.com

269-599-4237

Our Spring Session!

The next five week series begins this Saturday, March 31, from 10-11, at Vine Neighborhood Association. It will continue for the next 5 weeks through April 28th every Saturday.

The theme for this series is Rhythm and Rhyme! We will be exploring different music, instruments, and sounds. We will be making our own instruments as well.

At the Vine Neighborhood Association. 511 W. Vine St, Kalamazoo, MI.

For families with newborns up to age 10.

The sessions are free. Donations are welcome.

Come to one or come to all!

Please RSVP. 269-599-4237 or e-mail NurturingfromtheHeART@gmail.com

We hope you can join us! Thanks.

New Session Starting!

You don't have to be a musician or artist to bring the arts to the daily life of your family. Have fun expressing yourself and share the joy of the arts with your baby or young child! The expressive arts can be used for expressing emotions, as motivators, rhythm and coordination development, relaxation, etc.

We will have Rhythm and Rhyme sessions on both Thursday mornings beginning Feb. 23 and Saturday mornings Feb. 25. Both groups run for five weeks from 10:00-11:30.

Location:
Vine Neighborhood Association

511 West Vine Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Please preregister by calling 269.599.4237 or email at Nurturing.fromtheHeart@gmail.com

Cost is $45.00 for the five week series or free for those who qualify for WIC - if you are not sure if you qualify for WIC the income scale is on the "WIC income scale" Tab on our site. If you do qualify for WIC bring your bridge card or your latest pay stub as proof.

PLEASE, preregister!

Thank you.

Our new play groups start in January!















Upcoming Play Groups
January/February 2012

Rhythm and Rhyme Group:
14 months - 10 years

Thursdays, 10:30 am - 12pm
Jan 19, 26, Feb. 2, 9, 16
At Health and Community Services
3299 Gull Rd. Kalamazoo, MI.

Saturdays, 2pm - 3:30pm
Jan. 21, 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18
At Cristin’s Creative Corner
9416 Shaver Rd. Portage, MI.



Lullaby Group:
Infants to 14 months
Saturdays, 10:30am - 12pm
Jan 21,28, Feb. 4, 11, 18
At Cristin’s Creative Corner
9416 Shaver Rd. Portage, MI.

Costs:
Five week course: $45/family unit
One Time Visits: $10/family unit
*Tuition Scholarships is waived for those who qualify for WIC.

Project Connect

Join us! Nurturing from the HeART will have a booth at Project Connect. We will be doing art projects, music, and dancing. Expressive Arts activities and parenting skills.

November 16, 12-5pm
Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds

2900 Lake St

Kalamazoo, Michigan

PROJECT CONNECT is a semi-annual event that connects individuals & families to free on-site community services
children’s & parenting services
employment & education
financial & legal
health and medical screenings
housing & food assistance
personal (haircuts, seasonal)

PROJECT CONNECT is free – including public transportation, entertainment, and lunch!

PROJECT CONNECT needs around 300 volunteers sharing their time, energy, and knowledge at each event

For more info visit: http://projectconnectkalamazoo.blogspot.com/

Lullaby Class at Gull Lake Community Education

Nurturing from the HeART is partnering with Gull Lake Community Education
Offering:
Lullaby Class ~ Ages 0 - 14 months

Nurturing From the HeART is a program for parents, caregivers and their children to bond together with music and the arts. In a supportive environment this series focuses on the expressive arts (music, art, storytelling, movement, writing) as a way to play with children and gives caregivers skills for gentle parenting techniques and stress reduction.

$45.00 for Five weeks (scholarships available for those who are WIC eligible)
Thursdays 10/6/11-11/3/11 11am-12pm
W.K. Kellogg Agricultural School

Gull Lake Community Education 9500 N. 40th Street Hickory Corners, MI

Healthy Babies Healthy Start Workshop

Nurturing from the HeART is pleased to host a workshop for Healthy Babies Healthy Start on November 9, 2011 from 10am-12pm.

The class is for families with newborns to 14 months of age. Families with multiple children are welcome.

We will explore lullabies to sooth your baby, storytelling and how to talk to your baby, art for your baby's development, and stress relievers for the caregivers.

The class is free for anyone who signs up through Healthy Babies Healthy Start.

Space is limited so call Becky at Healthy Babies Healthy Start to reserve a spot ~ 373-5278

Healthy Babies Healthy Start Website:

http://www.kalcounty.com/hcs/hbhs/index.htm