Ricquelle's Place, A Community Creativity Outreach Program

Hello, my name is Jennifer. I first met Ricquelle at my dining room table. She sat across from me and smiled shyly. My son introduced her. "Mom this is Kelly and she is really shy so she writes letters in her notebook instead of talking." I smiled broadly at the beautiful, dark haired girl sitting across from me and said, "Well she's just my type because I love to get letters!"

Ricquelle prints something to me in her spiral notebook with bright blue pen.

"It's so nice to meet you. You're a good mother. Do you like art?" Then she slides the well worn spiral notebook across the table, looking around a bit nervously in her strange new surroundings.

I wrote back, "YES! I love art! And it's so nice to meet you! I love to write letters. Thank you for writing to me!"

This went on for several turns back and forth. Then she got up from the table, smiled at me brightly and quietly left.

She took my heart with her.

Having a child with Autism and mental illness as gregarious and outgoing as my son, means I get to meet others that he can really relate to. I'm so grateful to him for bringing Ricquelle and her beautiful spirit to my kitchen table that day. He loved her, and so did we.

As I got to know "Kelly" more, I would occasionally receive letters from her in passing as she walked toward me wearing a nervous smile. Sometimes she would come to the door. I would write back; giving her letters to my son to give to her. She would write to me about how she wished there was a place where everyone could make art. She wanted to buy a store front in town to make into a community art place, she said. Or she wanted to be a Nurse.

Ricquelle was a beautiful soul who struggled with schizophrenia and lived in a group home near by. She had a passion for creativity, a loving heart, and she was very much a free spirit. Being a higher functioning adult, the confines of of living in the group home became too much for her. She left one evening when everyone was asleep, and never returned. Tragically, she was struck by a car in the darkness of a busy road and it ended her life.

During her celebration of life, I stood up to say to all that were there who knew and loved her, that I would carry on her name with an art outreach. I began teaching at the local libraries that year.

Ricquelle's light is still shining! Who knew that several years later, her dream (and mine) would become a reality.

After teaching art and craft classes at libraries to carry on her name, I finally have a landing place of my very own. It's in the store front she always wanted.

My shop, Sacred Cake, will be opening in downtown Decatur this fall. It's a dream come true for me! The most crucial thing? It's giving back to my community. Making my heart's work make a difference. It's my legacy of giving. Loving. "Arting", and making people laugh. Bringing them something to delight in. That's so

important to me.

I'll be a storefront, but I'll also conduct free art and craft classes for the special needs people in our community, and at risk youth. I'll be giving them a safe space to express themselves creatively with others that are relatable. An escape when life is hard.

I believe wholeheartedly that art can change the world. I believe that creativity comes from God and it's within all of us. We are all conduits of beauty. Art can change us. It can heal us.

My outreach is called RICQUELLE'S PLACE. I, along with volunteers, will provide a beautiful, safe space for creativity as well as a mobile outreach program for those who can't get out due to the weather or mobility issues.

Ricquelle was so dear to my heart. She was dear to so many!

Please donate whatever you can to make her dream reality.

Whatever you donate will be used for supplies and other things needed to make this project come to life.

Sincerely,

Jennifer