NAHFH was awarded a grant by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to develop a community-building mural project for kids of Habitat homeowners and partner families. Children of Nashville Habitat homeowners and partner families, led by local mural artists Michael Cooper and Orlando Mathers, along with Frist Center for the Visual Arts outreach educators Susie Elder and Shaun Giles painted the murals at the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity offices on four Monday evenings: April 2, 9, 16 and 23.

The newly completed murals' primary themes are diversity and community-building, while the project's related educational component focused on creating two-dimensional artworks.

Participant youths were split by age into three groups to develop three different murals. Everyone— from ages 4 to 16—enjoyed the opportunity for creative expression and collaborative art-making. They also appreciated the chance to work with diverse artistic media, ranging from pencil and paper to acrylic on canvas.

The murals were installed at the Habitat HomeWORKS space Monday, April 23, followed by a celebration with the kids and their parents.

The project was a natural extension of NAHFH's formal Community Outreach Partnership with the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, giving children of Nashville Habitat families the opportunity to learn more about expressing themselves through art-making. It also gave the children an opportunity to meet and get to know their peers. Adults in the NAHFH program frequently congregate during their requisite HomeWORKS classes and time spent on the build site, so this was a great opportunity for the children to become acquainted with their soon-to-be neighbors.

Habitat HomeWORKS is a collection of classes designed to teach new skills and encourage new habits. From financial management and budgeting to home maintenance and repair, the goal is to equip individuals and families to become more self-sufficient and create new opportunities for themselves. To effect long-term, sustainable change, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity must not only provide bricks and mortar and volunteers, but also the education necessary to become a responsible homeowner and citizen. HomeWORKS offers the instruction, training and skills to sustain a better life: one individual, one family and one community at a time.