Offering Creative and Therapeutic Outlets

In cooperation with gun buyback programs, Michael Martin co-founded Rawtools as a nonprofit dedicated to converting guns into garden tools. He likes to think of the process as a therapeutic, healing process for gun-violence victims, playing off the scripture in Isaiah about turning swords into plowshares.

Rawtools relies on a large volunteer network across the country that disables weapons and donates them to the organization. Turning these potentially destructive implements into productive tools has helped some survivors deal with their tragedies in a transformative way. So far, Rawtools has turned more than a thousand guns into garden tools and hopes to inspire other similarly innovative programs throughout the country.

Consider: What kinds of creative programs and workshops do you offer for your clients to work through some of the baggage they carry?