CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – One Campbell County woman is putting her talents to good use – she’s selling her artwork to help with Ukraine relief efforts.
Carolyn Avalos is retired and spends her extra time in the studio and gallery, getting her paint, brushes, and utensils needed to create her masterpieces.
“It’s hard to say how many hours because I’ll come and go a lot during the day,” Avalos said. “As a child I doodled, I like to draw women. my favorite artist was the funny paper artist and I loved drawing women.”
Avalos creates abstract and landscape pieces. Her first painting was of a cow in August 2017.
“The woman who was teaching had canvasses ready for us so I got to work, cows here, cows down there, cows everywhere,” Avalos said.
Avalos often donates her work to fundraisers and becomes emotional when she thinks of the war in Ukraine.
She said she is optimistic her work can make a slight difference.
“Don’t make me cry, the Ukrainian thing is just so awful I just wanted to raise money ... I just wanted to do something one thing I can do is art,” she said.
Avalos sells ornament pieces, and the money raised goes to Don Shire Ministries, which helps with Ukraine relief.
“I keep wondering what’s the miracle this month, and every month it seems to work,” Don Shire, president of Don Shire Ministries said.
Shire said the goal is to help as many refugees as possible by providing food, shelter, and transportation.
His organization helps vulnerable women and children, about 1000 a week in Lviv and another 40 at Ukraine, Poland border.
“We’re at a point where minimally we’re sending almost $12,000 a month to help Ukrainian refugees,” Shire said. “Just keep doing it, don’t know how God is going to provide but keep doing it.”