Dreams towards Goals

“There is a wealth of different color in the neighborhoods of Camden. These colors came to us when a person discarded some material into a neighborhood, a public place. For this situation, we expend our effort to turn someone’s trash into an experience and/or art piece that we treasure.” DJB

The initial project began in October of 2006 in the mind of a volunteer at St. Anthony of Padua School in Camden, NJ. The idea was prompted from the wealth of materials in the neighborhood. There was a vast array of colors all over the land. Danny Bourdua (DJB), an FVM (Franciscan Volunteer Minister) who worked at the school initiated this art project.

Once the project got started it was dreamed that the art project could draw enough interest and support to provide the school the capacity to have a full-time visual art teacher and a solid art program by the next school year, 2007-2008.

Our goal was not accomplished by the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, but old dreams and new dreams are still alive in our souls, hearts and minds. Our dream of having a full-time visual art teacher will be made a reality if we achieve our broader goal of making more art and attracting the attention of people who support the arts. We believe the merit of this project will grow our ability to have a wider scope of influence in Camden, NJ and other inner cities where there is a vast amount of treasure. If St. Anthony of Padua school in Camden had a Full-time visual art teacher, it is possible that all the neighborhoods of Camden one-by-one could be cleaned up.

It is the official charge of any art teacher who is granted a teaching opportunity by anotherpersonstreasure.org to engaged other schools with the trash-art project. We dream of wide spread efforts where students, teachers, parents, and neighbors help to clean the neighborhood. This is our dream which leads to our ultimate goal. To bring individuals of the neighborhoods together in support of something good and fun. To clean the neighborhoods literally and figuratively one block at a time.

How it all began...

The Franciscan Volunteer Program had the great idea that Daniel Bourdua should be placed at their brand new volunteer site in Camden, NJ. Daniel accepted this offer from the FVM director Katie. Daniel has an affinity for nature and he does not like it when he sees man made trash covering God-made grass, and forests. One day when he was walking home from the St. Anthony of Padua Parish he had an idea. There was so much vibrantly colored trash in the neighborhood that his mind started to calculate the feasibility of making some sort of art out of the trash. There was a wide array of colors, and he thought that maybe this trash could actually be a blessing. This trash filled landscape is a breading ground for art supplies. The trash turned into our paint box, or crayon box.

Daniel set out to pick up trash around the neighbor-

hood. At St. Anothony of Padua, students in the after-school program were excited to go out to pick up the trash. They thought it would be great fun. It turned into a sport, swooping down and around the school yard picking up trash. That’s how the trash-pick ups began and as the bags piled up, organization started. A box for the red colored items, a box for the blue colored items, etc….

The students were designing the art as the material and ability to make the pictures out of trash was developed. During the process we got a little stronger, because the act of cleaning the environment is good exercise. The children submitted the art to Daniel and the first project was formed.

A 4th grade student drew the first picture that was ever made into a full fledged trash-art project…

This is the First Trash Art Project Completed !!!

Its called ‘Rays of Sun’

The second graders, armed with bags and thick work gloves go out on a chilly morning to clean their world!!!

Project Organizer’s Phone # : (678) 936 - 2606 Project Location: 2818 River Rd.

E-mail: info@anotherpersonstreasure.org Camden, NJ 08105