Art Kits are one of the Village Gallery of Arts’ most successful and rewarding community outreach programs. Funded by a City of Beaverton grant, VGA Art Kits are distributed to food pantries and nonprofit organizations throughout Portland and the surrounding communities.  

So far in 2026, we have provided kits to Neighborhood House, St. Vincent de Paul, All Saints Episcopal Church, and Bethlehem House of Bread. One pantry volunteer shared that not only do children and teens love choosing an art kit when their families visit the pantry, but adults occasionally ask if they can take one as well—simply because they, too, want the opportunity to create art.  

Another organization receiving VGA Art Kits is Family Promise of Tualatin Valley. Their Bridge to Home program, located in a former hotel on Pacific Highway, provides temporary housing for up to 70 families at a time. With more than 100 children currently living there and no outdoor play area, our art kits offer fun, creative projects to enjoy after school and during school breaks.  

This year, our art kits have also been distributed to Make-A-Wish, CHAP (Children’s Healing Art Project), the waiting area outside the ICE Center, St. Pius X, and soon to CCIP (Child Care Improvement Project).  

Art Kits are inexpensive, hands-on art projects assembled by VGA volunteers and packaged in large, sealed plastic bags. Each kit contains easy-to-follow instructions and all the supplies needed to complete an imaginative art project. Current kits include origami, scratch art, children’s art packs, veggie garden art, journal making, Diwali lanterns, wood cookie crafts, beaded heart boxes, foam prints, and Sculpey® snowmen and teddy bears.  

VGA has also recently partnered with Street Books, an organization that provides books, resources, and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness or living on the margins of our community. According to Street Books coordinators, our art kits “fly off the carts” whenever they are added to their bicycle libraries.  

Would you like to be part of this inspiring community outreach program? We’d love your help! VGA Member Volunteers are always needed to assemble kits, develop new project ideas, and deliver completed kits to local organizations. If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact our Art Kits Coordinator, Diane Shingledecker, at [email protected].  

If your nonprofit organization serves children, families, seniors, or other community members who would benefit from free art activities, we’d love to hear from you.  

Village Gallery of Arts is committed to making creativity accessible to everyone. Together, we’re bringing inspiration, imagination, and the joy of making art to our neighbors—one art kit at a time.