Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Alpert.
Sophie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and one of eight children from a very close-knit family. I have always felt compelled to give back because of the many blessings in my own life.
As a young adult, I worked on Skid Row in Los Angeles at Para Los Ninos, a child care center. The homeless families, especially the neglected children I encountered, affected me deeply. It was painful to see the poverty and feeling of hopelessness on the faces of these residents who were becoming more and more disenfranchised from their communities.
While raising my own four children, I would often think back to the faces of the children I met during my time at the center. I felt the need to do more for others less fortunate because my own life was so blessed.
In 2006, my husband and I traveled to South Africa where I visited micro-enterprise agencies assisting HIV positive women. Given free materials and instruction, the women created beautiful beaded dolls, earning a portion of the proceeds when the dolls were sold. I was so inspired, I wanted to find a way to help those less fortunate in my own Los Angeles community.
I decided to replicate the South African model with an art form and skills that participants could pursue on their own. I wanted to create a program that would provide a “hand up” rather than another “hand-out.” The goal was to empower disadvantaged residents by offering free workshops led by professional artists to create mosaic art. I purposely chose mosaics because the materials– Broken bits of tile, glass, china, and other assorted discards –needed to be inexpensive and accessible so that the artists could ultimately pursue this craft on their own. It also had the added benefit of being “green”.
I borrowed space in a community room of an affordable housing building for recently homeless families in South Los Angeles, one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country. Then, I began the quest of finding professional mosaic artists that would be willing to teach in this neighborhood. Word of mouth quickly spread about these free classes. Not only did you get to learn how to mosaic and receive a free lunch, you even had an opportunity to make money.
We were open to the community. Population includes the homeless, recently homeless, vets, victims of abuse, people dealing with and overcoming addictions, chronically ill and disabled and individuals living with mental illness. Most of our participants attended not to necessarily become artists but to escape the trauma and challenges in their lives. Soon we were filling workshops to capacity and expanded to include another location in Skid Row.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been many challenges along the way. Founding a non-profit in 2007, right before a recession, was a true test of survival. However, we were clearly serving a need in the community and found ways to appeal to people wanting to make a difference by purchasing a unique mosaic art piece created by people who had been living on the streets during this time.
But none of the early challenges compare to what we are facing today with COVID-19. We serve a very vulnerable population that benefits from our ability to provide a sense of community and address the loneliness and depression that often affects our participants. During this pandemic, we are unable to hold in person workshops. Although we are providing virtual programs, many of our participants lack the needed technology skills and devices to participate online and are feeling very isolated.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
Piece by Piece is a social enterprise non-profit arts organization. We provide low-income and formerly homeless people free mosaic art workshops using recycled materials to develop marketable skills, self-confidence, earned income and an improved quality of life.
When Piece by Piece first began holding mosaic art workshops, our artists created small mosaic garden pots and frames. Today our artists are able to take on large-scale commissions and public art projects. We are proud of our talented artists, our reputati0n and the partnerships we have cultivated in the community.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Our success can be attributed to our devoted and passionate staff, volunteers and supporters. We have an amazing group of dedicated, compassionate and talented instructors who go above and beyond to help our participants. Piece by Piece is a family that truly cares about the people involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.piecebypiece.org
- Phone: (213) 459-1420
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @piecebypiecela
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piecebypiecela/
- Twitter: @PieceByPieceLA
Image Credit:
Maya Myers Photography, Dawn Mendelson
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