Our Roots

How we got our start.

One day in late 2014, longtime writer and writing coach Molly Wingate was struck by life-changing inspiration. She’d gone down an Internet rabbit hole and found herself reading a feature about the Pongo Teen Writing program in Seattle, and had a vision of founding a similar program to help teen trauma survivors here in the Pikes Peak Region.

She immediately set to work, calling in the help of fellow writers Molly Gross and Ann Davenport. By spring 2015, Wingate had formed Poetry Heals, begun securing funding, and was hosting intensive trainings for local writers interested in working as mentors.

How we’ve grown.

From a moment of vision to the present day’s reality, Poetry Heals has grown by leaps and bounds, partnering with a wide variety of local organizations to serve teens and adults living in crisis and in recovery, the homeless, veterans, and those who are institutionalized or have recently been released. In 2016, we became a tax-exempt corporation in our own right —  Poetry Heals is largely funded by grants and private donations. Our staff continues to receive a variety of specialized training to help us best meet the complex needs of the people we serve. All staff members complete training in Mental Health First Aid.

Learn more.

To learn more about our innovative and effective outreach programs, please visit our Projects and Community Partners; to see some of the impact our work has, please visit Our Clients. If you’re considering a donation or grant to our organization, please visit Our Funders to learn more about how effectively we use our funds, and how we celebrate the other great people who support our work.

Thanks for your interest, and welcome to the Poetry Heals community!