Community Supported Friendship Drive

Compeer Cleveland County is launching our Community Supported Friendship project, in conjunction with the ongoing "Open Streets, Open Hearts" celebration in Uptown Shelby. Community Supported Friendship (or CSF for short) is a project created in response to the unique challenge of prolonged physical isolation that all of us are experiencing as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Many of our Compeer participants do not have access to computers, internet, or smartphones that are now critical for distanced social connection. Simultaneously, those of us with access to these forms of technology are often experiencing technology burn out after months of distanced communication.

CSF aims to provide a physical form of connection to our Compeer participants through creative gift giving and storytelling, while promoting community-wide creativity and self care practices through this unique volunteer opportunity. For more information about CSF, please visit our website. This drive is seeking gifts from the Cleveland County community inspired by the giver's unique and diverse personal interests. These gifts can be art you've created, poems you've written, or any other shareable object that means something to you. Along with your gift, we ask that you fill out a contribution form to share a story of connection.

Self Care on the Square Art Activity

During the drive, we are also hosting local artist - Betsy Kendrick - to lead a creative printmaking and collage art workshop at 11 AM on October 17 (during our drive) called Self-Care on the Square. We invite participants to contribute their finished project to the CSF drive happening onsite. There is no cost to participate. We do require that those interested in participating in the art project register here. Masks are required to participate in this art activity. To register for Self Care on the Square, use the button below. Participants must be 12 and up.

**Note** Pre-registration is not required for the CSF drive, just the art activity.