About Us

Hearts for Healing, Inc is a creative outlet for those who suffer from anxiety, PTSD, mental issues, physical concerns, stress, and other related issues. It is a way for them to take their mind and focus on something else besides the side effects left from war.

Our Mission

ADVANCING THE ARTS TO PROMOTE HEALING AND WELLNESS FOR VETERANS, MILITARY MEMBERS, THEIR CAREGIVERS, FAMILIES AND OTHERS
AT NO COST.

Out of the pain and darkness of war, our passion is to show our veterans, military members, caregivers, families, and others in need of an outlet that can help them focus on creativity and using the imagination to create a masterpiece or help them tell their stories using different artistic methods.

Art therapy has a long history of research showing the mind-body connection. A connection that has powerful and positive impacts to physiological and psychological symptoms.

We are always expanding what we do! We are excited to announce that started classes at VA and VA Whole Health starting in August 2020. We hope to expand each year to all that need art therapy through Vet Center, Community Living Centers, USO, and other outlets.

What We Offer

Hearts For Healing, Inc offers events and activities throughout the year including:

Free Classes

We will be teaching different mediums of art along with other activities each month. We started classes at VA and VA Whole Health starting in August 2020; We hope to expand each year to all that need art therapy through Vet Center, Community Living Centers, USO, and other outlets. We have free classes each month for veterans, military members, caregivers, families, and others who need our classes.

Volunteer Opportunities

We are always expanding what we do! All our instructors are volunteers in the arts or specialized in the class they will be teaching.

Our Lil' Red Letters Campaign works closely with volunteer student athletes at University of Nebraska to support children of deployed service members, homebound, nursing home veterans.

Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering.

Retreats

We have annual retreats for caregivers and women veterans.

Meet the Owner and Artist

Cara Loken

Owner & Artist

Cara Loken is a Nebraska artist and the Owner of Hearts for Healing, Inc. where combines her passion for art and her support of the military to promote healing and wellness.

we believe

Every man and woman that has ever served our country is eligible for the art classes.
Wounded warriors and their families have an added financial burden which is why we offer no cost art classes.
Art therapy classes offer veterans the ability to interact with art instructors, witness their own creative side and exercise the power of rehabilitation.
Classes are intended to reunite veterans with their peers, away from hospitals and the battlefield, in a peaceful environment.
Every veteran is given the opportunity to discover their talents.
After a series of classes, veterans will leave with encouragement, hopefulness, inspiration, and a sense of peace as well as self-satisfaction.

Working across military, government, private and non-profit sectors, the goals of the National Initiative are to:

Raise visibility, understanding, and support of arts and health in the military.
Advance the policy, practice, and quality use of arts and creativity as tools for health in the military; and
Make the arts available to all active-duty military, staff, family members, veterans, and others as a tool to improve health and well-being.