Traditionally, our YAFH student artists have created paintings designed for specific healthcare locations in the Washington D.C. metro area and beyond. YAFH was founded with the mission to provide a sense of comfort, inspiration and healing for patients and their loved ones, and healthcare professionals.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic limited our access to healthcare locations, so the YAFH team put our heads together and came up with a new idea that would be an extension of our original mission. Our healthcare partners embraced this idea, and art teachers and their students welcomed the idea that they could help spread comfort and healing through their artwork during the pandemic.

During the 2020-21 school year, in addition to two healthcare location-based projects, our student artists created amazing Gifts of Gratitude paintings to give to frontline healthcare HEROES to thank them for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is how Gifts of Gratitude began. Because frontline healthcare workers have continued to bravely battle COVID-19, we continued the program into the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. Our student artists are pleased to have the continuing opportunity to thank healthcare workers for their dedication and care.

2022-23 Gifts of Gratitude

During the 2022-23 school year, students from six different schools created 37 works of art to give to healthcare workers. Participating schools included Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy, Georgetown Day School, Largo High School, Silver Creek Middle School, St. Andrew Apostle School, and Watkins Mill High School. The students’ beautiful, uplifting works of art can be viewed below.