COMMUNITY & CULTURE
FEELING THE LOVE
Hearts for Ferguson
provides healing help
By ERIN WILLIAMS
The call to action spurred by the events that occurred
last summer in response to the shooting death of Michael
Brown, Jr. has produced an amazing amount of attention
and care in Ferguson, Missouri.
In addition to protests, cleanup and recovery efforts, and
business development, the tragedy itself has translated
into teachable moments about justice and helping others
for adults and children alike. Such was the case for art
therapist and licensed counselor Susie McGaughey, who
created the program “Hearts for Ferguson” in an effort
to show elementary school children an alternative and
creative way to deal with the cause and effect of such a
traumatic event.
“When things first happened in Ferguson in August, our
therapy department decided that we wanted to go and
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support the therapists in the schools,” said Susie, who
was one of twenty-five therapists from the behavioral
health service agency, Great Circle that volunteered their
services in the Ferguson/Florissant School District when
the school year started.
“It was twofold. I wanted to support the kids that I
work with every day, knowing that they felt helpless. I
could tell that there was a desire and a need to feel like
they were involved and branching out to the kids in the
Ferguson community, who were going through a lot,”
Susie said. “It was a simple gesture to support them and
support my kids at the same time.”
Inspired by the “I Heart Ferguson” yard signs created by
area residents, Susie brainstormed to form a program
that allows people to create and decorate hearts with