Yaya Por Vida holds a monthly outreach for our houseless friends in Overtown and Downtown Miami. During this outreach, we provide food, Infectious Disease Prevention and Education care kits, resources, and Narcan with training. We also include our Art as Healing sessions. Our houseless friends rarely have access to healing programs that are made to meet them where they are. Substance use disorder and other mental health challenges can make it hard for them to find housing.

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Through building trusting relationships, we learned that bringing more resources than just food and care kits helps support the next step in recovery. Our Street Edition program is a little different. We use fast art techniques that are inspired by street art. Our houseless friends are often on the move for many reasons. We give them a safe space to slow down, breathe, rest, and work on a small tag or drawing that helps them reflect and recharge.

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This has led to more open conversations about their challenges, better moods, and curiosity about how to move forward in recovery. Art as Healing Street Edition also gives our volunteers a chance to connect more closely with our participants while creating their own healing art.