Help the Creative Society to help our community

Who we are

The Creative Society is a newly formed benevolent organization in Saint Charles, MO, born of the tragedy of suicide, with a mission to help struggling and needy members of our community survive both emotionally and physically. We are seeking financial support to not only develop our current administration, but to foster our own self supporting businesses in Saint Charles, the first of which is The Painted Sky Creative Lounge, at 501 Clark Street. We are hoping that with a small donation you will also be a part of this dream.

The Zamudio family in 2018. Margaret, Alvin, Ellie, Mya and Addison.

Our Story

It all begins on Friday, November 22, 2019 when founder, Alvin Zamudio, and his family unexpectedly lost their 16 year old son, Addison, when he took his own life. The pain of his loss was not only felt by him, his wife, Margaret, their two other daughters, Mya and Ellie, and their family and friends, but ultimately by the entire community, especially Addison’s fellow students from Saint Charles High School. 

Addison on his first day of his high school Junior year in 2019. 

After seeing how many of Addison’s friends came to his memorial service that next week and realizing just how many were hurting over his loss, Alvin and Margaret decided to reach out to them. So they put out the word about a gathering at their house in early December 2019 and almost twenty of his friends came. It was then, after six hours of talking, sharing, laughing and crying together that they learned not only were his friends grieving Addison’s loss, they were also –like they shared that he was– on the edge and suffering emotionally. Alvin and Margaret knew this emotional breakdown was not specific to this group; all over, it seemed, young people were struggling and scared. As a result of this revelation and in light of the loss of Addison, they realized something needed to be done to help prevent further tragedy.

Making art at one of the first Creative Society meetings in 2019-2020

So, Alvin and Margaret began to meet with the kids bi-weekly on Sunday afternoons. When they met they would eat, listen to music, draw, paint, and even plant together all while the discussions regarding their emotional well-being continued. However, unexpectedly it became apparent that the hope of looking to conventional methods of examining and fixing the individual was not a realistic solution. Already there were many resources and programs, many of which were available to these kids, but from what the group was telling them, they had very little impact on improving their overall mental health. In fact, from what they were hearing, much of it was actually counterproductive. Instead, the kids consistently spoke of the outside pressures they faced and feared in a world for which they didn’t feel prepared for nor were even interested in. It seemed they wanted something else out of life instead of just a vocation and financial success and most of them didn't feel they had a good shot at either one. In fact, a lot of their issues at home with their parents seemed to have stemmed from the same stressors their parents faced, as well. Entire families were unhappy with how life had turned out and thoughts of an unchanged future only seemed to exacerbate matters. So it was now painfully obvious that if Alvin and Margaret wanted to help, they were going to have to consider the emotional pain these young people were facing and how it was symptomatic of a much larger problem: society is breaking people and it is society that really needs to be questioned.

Seeking out anyone who could help, Alvin began reading, researching online, and eventually connected with friends and other experienced and educated individuals who, each in their own way, helped him as he searched for an answer to the problem he now saw: there are people in this world for whom our current model of individualism simply does not work. So the question was, how do we sustain those who cannot endure it? After all, don’t they matter just as much as anyone else? Otherise, their fate was obvious; like so many others, they would be forsaken to despair leading down a dark path of anxiety, depression, addiction, and possibly, like his own son, to suicide. 

Knowing he could not change the world, Alvin did come to see that he could at least change his. So, he began to develop a vision for an alternative form of living that could effectively help those in need of emotional help. The concept he landed on was based on what he learned was successful in indigineous societies who knew (and still know) that true survival must be a collective effort. To them, every person mattered, so every person was taken care of and therefore, survived. Through thousands and thousands of years they accomplished this in smaller groups such as tribes or clans, where people were much closer to one another and consequently, not overlooked. It is in these tribes or clans that communication and change happened because of more intimate relational networks. Alvin realized that this brilliant egalitarian system, founded by our ancestors, could work within our current culture to counter or lessen the traumatic impact on the more vulnerable individuals of our current modern day society. It is in this protected, safe nucleus that small groups can gather resources collectively and willingly share those resources with each other as needed. Although this may appear to be in stark contrast to our current modern world, it quickly became obvious that a collective of this type, although charitable in its vision, could just as easily adapt to conduct business within our capitalist economy to sustain itself instead of relying solely on fundraising. The members of the Creative Society would take advantage of the free market, starting and operating businesses collectively, and then, sharing profits with one another. This egalitarian principle puts money in everyone’s hand instead of just a few. In addition, this model means better support for those with emotional needs because more healing resources will be available to them, and therefore enable them to enjoy a safer emotional existence that isn’t marred by a constant fear of bankruptcy. 

I know. It sounds crazy, right? Well, we believe it's so crazy it just might work.

We are proud to say that the great experiment of the Creative Society is officially underway. In April of 2023 we officially open the Painted Sky Creative Lounge. It operates as an entertainment venue, a cafe, art store, and community arts center that will hopefully generate much needed income, and as well as function as a meetinghouse for the Creative Society and other local help organizations when needed. 

Location of the Painted Sky and Creative Society at 501-505 Clark Street in Saint Charles, MO in 2022

Some of the core group working on the inside of the Painted Sky. 

Opened for business on April 1st, 2023. No joke!

However, just as a newly planted seed depends on its environment to survive, we cannot do it alone. We have great passion but limited resources. And as an unconventional operation we face unique obstacles other startup organizations and businesses do not, mostly financial. So this is where you can help! With a donation of any amount today you can bring us one step closer to making our dream for inspiring, healing, and loving our community a reality! And we will continue to update you on our progress as the campaign goes on! So, on behalf of the Creative Society and Alvin and his family, we thank you for your time and consideration and wish you the best in life and all that you do!

PS: While the website is being constructed, follow us on our facebook page !

You may also contact us via email at [email redacted]