OGDENSBURG -- The Alliance for the Mentally Ill of St. Lawrence Valley, Inc. sponsored four Peace Paper hand papermaking workshops in August to benefit mentally ill patients and people.

These workshops were funded, in part, by a grant from the Northern New York Community Foundation as recommended by the Ogdensburg Free Academy Youth Philanthropic Council.

Run by St. Lawrence County native Drew Matott, Peace Paper Project is a mobile papermaking studio complete with a bicycle for power, a small portable beater for making pulp and everything needed to make sheets of paper and dry them.

Working with art therapists, college students, veterans, the mentally ill, domestic abuse and other trauma survivors, Matott has presented workshops across the United States and in the United Kingdom, Poland, Spain and Turkey to deliver what he believes is a healing therapy.

Peace Paper Project helps people to create art that expresses their personal stories.

“A sensory-based activity, the process of hand papermaking is beneficial in trauma intervention,” said alliance president Lynne Matott. “As the hands and body are involved in the formation of paper, the individual is grounded in the here and now through soothing repetition.”

One day later, people can take home their artistic creations: Sheets of textured paper decorated with their own choice of motifs or pictures applied with a colored pulp spray in a simple screen printing process.

As advocates for the mentally ill, AMI-SLV sponsored these workshops to give patients and others a chance to experience what Matott calls an “empowering activity.”

Workshops were held in Ogdensburg at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center Children's Unit, Seaway House Psycho-Social Club, and Step-by-Step Drop In Center.

An additional workshop was held in Gouverneur at the North Country Transitional Living Services Residence.

About 150 people participated in these four events, including those coping with mental illness, support staff, and AMI-SLV members. One more is planned in October for 60 patients at the SLPC Adult Unit.

While people made paper, AMI-SLV members and staff fired up the grills and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for all participants at Seaway House, Step-by-Step and the TLS residence. AMI members donated summer salads and desserts to round out a summer barbequeat each location.

“Thus, these workshops ended with a good meal for each participant,” Matott said.

“Thanks again to the Northern New York Community Foundation, the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of St. Lawrence Valley, and other donors for making this one week of hand papermaking and free luncheons an empowering event for all participants,” Matott said. “Thanks also to the staff members at each location for hosting them. And finally, thanks to the student members of the OFA Youth Philanthropic Council for supporting AMI-SLV's mission of providing support for individuals with mental illness, their friends and family members.”