Clark University senior Katherine (Kate) S. Bamberg, of Newtown, Conn., has been working with others in her hometown with Healing Sandy Hook Through the Arts (HSHTTA), a nonprofit corporation organized specifically to fund art therapy and arts programs designed to enhance the healing process of the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School following the tragic shooting there on Dec. 14.

According to Bamberg, the corporation is made up of mostly friends of Sandy Hook School’s art teacher Leslie Gunn, who was a witness to the terror on December 14.  Friends have volunteered their time and services to create, organize and run the organization. Most of them are Newtown residents; those who are not live in surrounding towns.

The corporation was launched a few days after the incident; Gunn serves as the president. It has collected over $37,000 so far.

“I think there is a need for this organization because the arts are a very important field. They can serve many purposes, primarily expression, as well as acting as a form of therapy,” said Bamberg.

Donations can be mailed to Healing Sandy Hook Through the Arts, P.O. Box 689, Newtown, CT 06470, or made via the website http://www.healingsandyhookthroughthearts.org. The group also has a Facebook page.

Bamberg is a member of the Class of 2013 at Clark; she is pursuing a double major in film studies and international development and social change.  Bamberg is a 2009 graduate of Newtown High School.