In just over two years, House of Morrow has quickly grown its reach within the local community and is looking to continue expanding its impact on local youth in years to come.
During an appearance on KVOE’s Talk of Emporia Friday, House of Morrow founder and executive director Deon Morrow spoke to the origins and mission of the non-profit which he says is dedicated to “investing” in the community by blending art and service, two things he believes go hand in hand with one another.
One such way the non-profit is accomplishing this mission is through its annual Diverse Voices program which has taken place at Walnut Elementary school for the past two years and just concluded a little over a week ago. Program leader, local poet and House of Morrow Vice Chair Linzi Garcia says the program was created as a way for students to “build a relationship with writing” outside of their standard curriculum.
Garcia says she has been blown away by how responsive the students at Walnut have been the last two years, and also how profound and personal the works they have produced have been.
In addition to fostering their relationship with creative writing, House of Morrow also provided each of the students with an opportunity for a very rare accomplishment for individuals their age, becoming a published writer.
Morrow says this opportunity is a great way to build confidence in these young writers noting that confidence will only continue to grow as they do.
The books are available for purchase through Meadowlark Press for just $10, with all proceeds going to support further work through House of Morrow. Speaking of which, Morrow tells KVOE News it is his hope they will be able to expand the Diverse Voices program across the USD 253 Emporia school district in years to come, and hopefully beyond.
To do so, however, he says they do need additional funding and volunteers both of which are easy to do. For those interested in donating the cause or becoming a volunteer for the non-profit visit Houseofmorrow.org.
