On April 22nd, we had the absolute honor of joining over 60 incredible organizations at the Community Partners Gathering hosted by the amazing Community Engagement team at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Held at With Love Market & Café—a community-centered space in South LA dedicated to health, connection, and empowerment—the gathering brought together nonprofits and community organizations doing powerful work all across Los Angeles.

Throughout the morning, we shared conversation around what community means to us, the work we each do to serve our city, and how we might better collaborate, share resources, and support one another as partners. Give Kids Art was humbled to be invited to present during the gathering, offering a glimpse into the work we do to ignite creativity, healing, and self-expression in children.

We led the group through an adapted version of one of our favorite activities: “What’s In Your Heart?”. This special exercise invited everyone in the room to pause and reflect on two things:

What it feels like to serve their community
What it feels like when they witness their community thriving

Participants then chose colors to represent each of these feelings and decorated hearts with those colors. It’s always magical to see adults participating in the Give Kids Art world that celebrates the childlike wonder and innate creativity within all of us. After we finished, folks were invited to share with the group, just like we do with the children in all of our programs!

We left feeling so inspired by the passion and commitment in the room and grateful for the opportunity to share our work alongside so many organizations that make Los Angeles brighter, healthier, and stronger.

Thank you again to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the With Love LA team for hosting such a meaningful gathering. We look forward to continuing to build connections and celebrate the magic that happens when community comes together.