HOMELESS
ELYAHOU LALLOUZ LAUNCHES ARTISTS FOR CHARITIES DONATES 18K FOR RAFFLE
T
hese days it’s quite the challenge to be granted an interview with Elyahou Lallouz. The ‘Ambassador of Humanity’ seems to be swimming in a sea of paints with no time for play. “There aren’t enough hours in the day,” says Lallouz. In fact this artist who is acclaimed for his spectacular works which are flatteringly identified somewhere between celebrated masters Picasso and Matisse will be donating three original works of art for raffle to benefit the Homeless Coalition of South Florida. “The pieces I have selected are geared toward awareness of this abasing level of society. You’ve got people that have fallen off the ride, and I mean men and women who have lost their home, job, family and most of all, self respect. How can such a thing happen -- well it does and unfortunately it’s very hard for these people to get back on track. I’m not saying that all people who find themselves in a homeless situation are educated or former pillars of society. But I do have to commend Sean Cononie, COSAC’s founder for his formidable devotion to bringing aid to these lost individuals. It’s unfathomable to see what he deals with on a daily basis.” The three ‘Signature Lallouz’ originals will be donated by Artists for Charities. It’s inception, brought to life by Lallouz along with his wife and philanthropic partner, Rhonda is a nonprofit organization with a mission of keeping art alive while supporting both artists and charitable organiza-
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tions. “It caters to artists of all mediums and is a centralized hub which gears toward representing stable and non stable artists in establishing a recognized value of their works, all the while educating the public and nonprofit charities into comprehending the abundance of unmanaged talent which exists. Elyahou is continually donating his works to charitable organizations to help raise funds for their cause. At times, it can be somewhat overwhelming due to the fact that he only has two hands. Artists for Charities is an organization which collaborates with all charities and furnishes them with the tools needed to fund raise. It also serves as a model to organizations on how an artist should be treated with respect. Elyahou and I have experienced both ends of the spectrum. While some charities are very pleasant, there are others who clearly are in it for personal gain, huge tax writeoffs and limo rides. Experiences like those have only enlightened us
ELYAHOU LALLOUZ ORIGINAL “Papa” 8” x 10” Mixed Media on Canvas Certificate of Authenticity Available Upon Request Current Market Value: $950 USD
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s I sit back and reflect on my recent trip to Nicaragua, I think of all the wonderful people I met while I was there and its pure beauty like no other country. Nicaragua is the second poorest, most heavily indebted country in the western hemisphere. My assignment was to grasp an understanding of Nicaragua’s culture while exploring the depth of their poverty. I unfortunately didn’t get to visit any slums while I was there, but I did get to meet some wonderful homeless children who live in the streets. The youngest child we ran across was the ripe old age of 7. So when I use the term children, that’s what I really mean. I have read a lot about the street children of the
Americas who sniff glue to escape the reality of their world. Corinne and I wanted to visit these children in the streets, to see first hand the atrocity of their situation. Corinne and I unpacked the clothes from our travel bags to prepare for a night in the streets. We filled them back up again with milk, orange juice, and hot rice wrapped in tinfoil to hand out to the children who are, for the most part, forgotten about on the streets of Granada, Nicaragua. We really had no clue what we were about to see. American ex-Peace Corps worker, Donna Tabor, who works with these children, told us that we would find
most of the children living in the central park. So Corinne and I went to the park looking for these lost souls. Upon arrival, it took no time for children to start popping out of every little corner. I would say the average age of the children was around 11. As we befriended them, they opened up to us like we knew them forever; telling us their stories about why they are there. Even though poverty definitely out ranks the aid given to this country, there were still some places for these children to go. The problem with these particular children is that they cannot last in any pro-
“Why are children sniffing glue at such a young age?”
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