Attorney General Andy Beshear last week joined wife Britainy Beshear, children served by Louisville’s Family Scholar House and the organization’s vice president of programs and services Kristie Adams to open a new Hope Gallery art exhibit in Frankfort.
The Hope Gallery, located in the main lobby of the Office of the Attorney General in the state Capitol, features artwork from 16 children served by Family Scholar House, a non-profit organization in Louisville that supports single parents and foster care alumni pursuing post-secondary education and their children.
Britainy Beshear serves on the board at Maryhurst in Louisville and established the Hope Gallery in April 2016 to give a voice to Kentucky children who face adversities and to promote art therapy programs.
“It’s really amazing how Family Scholar House works to remove barriers to success for children in single-parent households, providing them with social connection and making sure they have access to needed resources,” said Mrs. Beshear. “Each of these children has a story to tell and the Hope Gallery provides an opportunity for them to tell part of that story through art and to feel like their voices are being heard.”
Family Scholar House serves disadvantaged single moms and dads and their children, empowering them toward their educational, career and family goals. Children in the program created superheroes for this new Hope Gallery exhibit, describing what powers they would have and why. Their answers reflect a commitment to help others in their community and protect their families.
“Seeing these children realize the real and positive impact they have through the display of their art in the Hope Gallery is a truly rewarding experience for me,” said Attorney General Beshear. “Providing a safe childhood and a real path to prosperity for Kentucky’s children is why we in the Attorney General’s office work so hard to prevent child abuse and exploitation.”
“Spending even a few minutes with our children instills tremendous hope for the future,” said Chief Possibility Officer, President and CEO of Family Scholar House Cathe Dykstra. “Their superhero powers provide insights into the gifts they see in themselves and the needs they see in their communities – needs they intend to address to make for a better future for us all.”
This is the second time the Hope Gallery has featured the art of children from Family Scholar House. The gallery has also displayed pieces from students with Maryhurst and children from Volunteers of America’s Louisville Family Housing Services and Freedom House programs.
Beshear brought his and Britainy’s commitment to Kentucky’s children and families to the Office of the Attorney General through a specific four-part mission – preventing child abuse, protecting seniors from scams and abuse, seeking justice for victims and finding workable solutions to Kentucky’s drug epidemic.
Beshear’s Cyber Crimes Unit, a division of the Department of Criminal Investigations, works to protect Kentucky children from online predators.
The Child Victims’ Trust Fund in Beshear’s office has provided more than $610,000 to support child sexual abuse prevention programs and helped pay for more than 2,700 child sexual abuse medical exams.
The trust fund’s prevention activities and child advocacy programs are funded through private donations, proceeds from the purchase of “I Care About Kids” license plates and donations made through the state income tax refund check-off program.
Beshear reminds Kentuckians that everyone has a moral and legal duty to report any instance of child abuse to local law enforcement or to Kentucky’s Child Abuse hotline at 877-597-2331 or 877-KYSAFE1.
Office of the Attorney General