The Risa Fund seeks to enhance the well-being of underserved youth in Washington, DC through arts and athletic enrichment and improved access to mental health services.
The Risa Fund's partnership with ArtReach GW provides free visual arts programming serving residents East of the River. The Spring 2021 semester featured 2 virtual workshop series. The first focused on Black History Month and freedom, and the second on Women's History Month and using women who've persisted to inspire artistic processes through an art therapy lens.
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Let’s talk about mental illness. Sadly, the events of 2020 – from the global pandemic to racial/social tensions and the tumultuous election – have fueled our nation’s growing crisis. Two in five U.S. residents report struggling with issues including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. Those in the 18-25 age group have been hit particularly hard, and thoughts of suicide have increased across the population, including among young children. Although our goals shifted because of the pandemic, the Risa Fund has continued to support our partners during this challenging time and has embraced promising new partnerships to address the needs of youth and young adults.
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