In the Little Brushstrokes art studio at World Relief Southern California, something beautiful is happening. After years of wandering and displacement, children are finding security and community — prompted by the power of art.
Little Brushstrokes began in 2016 with the mission to use art and creativity to serve the youngest, and often most forgotten, refugees and immigrants. As of FY23, the program has served over 100 families and over 500 children in both the U.S. and Mexico.
It all began when Jose Serrano, Director of Church and Community Engagement noticed that, while adult refugees had access to many programs, not much was offered for their children. Jose began gathering refugee and immigrant youth from the area once a month to create art together.
Each art activity in the program is purposefully designed with the children’s needs in mind. These include adjusting to American culture, building character and handling difficult situations. Themes like migration and community are used in paintings, collages, murals, mixed-media and music to bring the kids together.
Artwork created by kids at the Little Brushstrokes studio.
For kids like Hamid, this space is a much needed sanctuary. Hamid was 11 when, in 2021, he and his family escaped the Taliban. When Hamid first attended Little Brushstrokes in 2022, like most child refugees, he struggled with social skills and had no community to lean on.
But when Hamid faced bullying and even physical harm at school, the community formed in Little Brushstrokes proved to be a safe place of belonging. His peers and teachers were there for him when he needed it most.
World Relief staff facilitated discussions about bullying and gave Hamid the space to process his feelings. Overcoming these unique challenges together reinforces the children’s sense of belonging and identity within their community.
While art serves as the medium of the program, the true impact of the work happening there is rooted in walking alongside the students and their families — just like Hamid and his family experienced. Hamid’s father has seen the difference in his son’s life, as well as in Hamid’s siblings, “At Little Brushstrokes, my kids feel at home. They feel safe. They feel like they belong.”
The life changing program also serves as a ministry starting point for local churches. At Christmas time, church partners can bring gifts for the kids. For Hamid’s family, this simple act expanded their community as their local church continued to serve them after the holidays.
Through Little Brushstrokes, we’re creating lasting change by addressing the deeply felt needs of refugee and immigrant children — and it is setting them up for success long into adulthood. In fact, this year saw the program’s first high school seniors graduate, with 100% of them pursuing college at four-year universities!
Thank you for helping us ensure these children are not forgotten. Your generosity is giving refugee and immigrant children a place of belonging when they need it most.
Read more on the blog about how we are helping refugee and immigrant children as well as their families thrive through other holistic programming.
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Jessica Galván is a Content Writer at World Relief. She is passionate about storytelling and amplifying diverse voices to reveal the beauty of God’s creation. She is also the Editorial Director for Chasing Justice and prior to World Relief, she was a freelance writer and editor for a variety of clients in publishing, most recently Penguin Random House. When she isn’t wordsmithing for the pursuit of faith and justice, she is spending time with her husband and their 3 children in the Houston, TX area.