Over the coming weeks, local residents will be seeing stars – both night and day.
Though not the twinkling points of light that fill the night sky, the “Stars of Hope” currently being hung all over Chattahoochee and Sneads, like their cosmological counterparts, are myriad and bright – beaming with vibrant color and brilliant designs. But it’s the words of encouragement, support and solidarity emblazoned across their surfaces that especially set these decorated wooden star cutouts apart.
Stars of Hope is a unique disaster response and therapeutic arts program; participants from cities around the country decorate and inscribe 12-inch wooden star cutouts with positive messages, then send them by the box-load to areas affected by recent disasters.
Recently, Stars of Hope participant groups from Texas, New York, Georgia and elsewhere have begun sending the wooden stars to hurricane-ravaged Chattahoochee and Sneads. Each star is unique, hand painted by an individual especially for the storm victims of both towns. Apalachicola Arsenal Museum director Linda Kranert, who is receiving the stars on behalf of Chattahoochee and Sneads, reports that scores of “Hope” stars have already arrived at the museum, and more boxes are on the way. Volunteers are currently installing the stars around both towns for the public to view.
“These stars will hopefully brighten up our area, our lives and our moods,” Kranert said. “It is amazing to see how many do care about the people affected by terrible Hurricane Michael. Some people truly are not forgetting us.”
For more information, contact the Arsenal Museum at (850) 794-0197 or visit starsofhopeusa.org.
By Brian Dekle
editor@prioritynews.net
Photos by Linda Kranert (unless otherwise noted)
Click image to enlarge
