THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996 TAG: 9608220376
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 67 lines
Tamika Miles painted a thin rim of pink around the circle that represented her 21 years, but the rosy hue was just a mask.
Inside the sphere, she colored her life red for anger, blue for sadness. Using an art therapy technique to understand her feelings helped the young single mother turn her life around.
Once homeless, she's living on her own and working on a degree in childhood education at Norfolk State University.
Miles did the artwork last spring while living at one of Norfolk's side-by-side Dwelling Place shelters for families.
The art therapy is part of an internship project that this year won the Virginia Coalition for the Homeless award for the most creative use of volunteers.
The internship program, which shelter executive director Trish Manthey has nurtured since 1991 when she took charge of The Dwelling Place, brings in students who are studying art therapy or social work to interact with those staying at the shelters.
One such intern is Maria Suarez, who has one more semester to complete her bachelor's in social work at Norfolk State. She says the hours she spent working withresidents at the shelter changed her perception of homelessness.
``Some of these girls are just like me,'' she said. ``There's no line that's drawn between us - only finances and support systems differentiate us. And now I'm not going out there with a closed mind.''
During the past year, a total of 15 students from Norfolk State, Regent University, Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Tidewater Community College spent thousands of hours working with shelter residents, some concentrating on art therapy.
``Art therapy works for all,'' Manthey said. ``And the students bring fresh ideas and creativity, youth energy.''
The Dwelling Place operates two homes in Park Place, housing as many as 14 families at a time. For 11 years, the shelters have been temporary homes to 2,125 families, and nearly three-fourths of them moved into permanent housing.
Tamika Miles said that she never would forget coloring the circle that stood for her life as she worked with an art therapy intern from EVMS.
``We had to use color to represent our feelings, and mine's still being talked about,'' she said. ``The outline was pink, so you'd think that meant I was happy, but inside it was blue for sadness and red for anger. I masked it.''
Tyrane Green, 22, also a resident of The Dwelling Place last spring, said she colored her life line yellow for sadness, but she painted the future turquoise ``like floating on heaven,'' she said. That was the life she hoped for, and now, she says, she has it.
A single mother of three, Green has her own apartment now and begins nursing classes next month.
Miles and Green met recently with Manthey and Suarez and expressed high regard for them. ``She always told me to focus on my children,'' Green said of Suarez, who is 23. ``Maria was cool. . . . I said to myself, `She's young and can do it, so I can.' '' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
INTERNS GIVE HOPE TO HOMELESS
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Maria Suarez, inspired the residents of The Dwelling Place shelters
in Norfolk.
The homeless
shelters' director, Trish Manthey, left, founded Suarez' internship
program. by CNB