God's Gifts
Heelan students serve in unique way

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
May 5, 2005

Art IV students from Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City were able to use their talents to provide a new environment at the Mercy Child Advocacy Center in Sioux City.

The art students transformed the center into an underwater world to help distract the more than 600 children who are seen at the center yearly. The center provides support, medical care and collects evidence for children who have been sexually abused.

Each year Laurie Dougherty, art teacher at Heelan, has her art IV students do a community service project. She came up with the idea for this year's project four years ago after speaking with a doctor who was a keynote speaker at a Mercy Child Advocacy Center fundraiser. The doctor mentioned that he had had an artist paint the ceiling of an exam room to distract children during an exam.

"I have always wanted to do the painting at the center," said Dougherty. "I decided this is just the right group of students. I love that these students are so willing to give to children they will never know or meet. Everything fell into place this year."

The art IV class includes Rachel Adam, Caitlin Flanagan, Marie Hackett, JoBeth Hall, Brad Hansen, Mark McAllister, Nicole Olson, Zach Saylor and Mary Tiedeman.

"They haven't gotten to do their own work," said Dougherty. "Everything has been put on hold for this project. I didn't know how long it would take. They really did sacrifice. They never once complained."

She added that if someone was getting discouraged, another student would pick them up and tell them they were doing a good job. She explained that the group became a little family and helped each other along.

"Everyone of those kids is so talented," said Dougherty. "There are people in this world that can't draw a straight line with a ruler. These kids have such a talent that they should share it. It is a gift. It is something that they can do. They will never meet the kids that come to the center, but giving is so rewarding in and of itself. They know they made a difference."

The project began in January and the students have used their class and lunch time every day to go to the center to paint. The students painted the hallways, reception room, interview rooms and completed the project on April 27 by finishing the ceiling of the exam room. They left school at 8:30 a.m. on April 27 and stayed at the center until the project was done.

"It has been such a great project," said Dougherty. "Events needed to work out. The whole staff takes a break for lunch, so it worked for us that we had our art period over their lunch - 12 to 1 p.m. We are close so it wasn't a big deal to get there. I have seniors so if people needed to drive it wasn't a big issue."

The Child Advocacy Center asked the group to stay with their FISH theme, faith inspired spiritual healing, for the art in the center. The theme is hospital wide.

"It was kind of nice that they gave us something," said Dougherty. "I found an old poster with fish on it. They were all real whimsical - fish stick fish, jelly fish with a grape jelly jar."

The floor had the normal hospital floor look - sterile, cold, makes someone think they are going to get a shot, described Dougherty. The average age of the children on the floor is six.

Dougherty told a story about a little girl who was at the center one day while they were working. It was the girl's eighth birthday, and she wanted to help by drawing something on the wall. They kept it and painted it in for her.

"I am really proud that I could be part of such a great project," said Tiedman, a senior at Heelan. "Not only are we just using our God-gifted abilities, but we are helping some children who are having a hard time being in that wing of the hospital in the first place."

Tiedeman commented that she is more aware of the center now that she has become more informed.

Adam, another senior in the class, feels good about being able to use her talents to benefit the children that go to the center. She thought it turned out really well.

Adam and Tiedeman both noted that they were relieved that the project was done and both had a sense of accomplishment.

"It is a great sense of accomplishment to be done," said Dougherty. "It is something that they can look back on with pride for a long time - something that says we care. They did it all themselves. I knew they could do it. The spirit was with them all along."