The Bottles of Hope Project was started in 1999 by Diane Gregoire from Rhode Island. Diane is a polymer clay artist and breast cancer survivor. She found a way to use her special talents as an artist to cheer up the lives of cancer patients who were going through the ordeal of chemotherapy. Diane used polymer clay to decoratively cover small (non-toxic) glass medicine bottles and she gave them to other patients as a symbol of hope.

Diane is a past-member of our guild and the RIPCG continues to support the Bottles of Hope Program by creating Bottles of Hope as an ongoing project. Our guild has dedicated the month of February as Bottles of Hope Month, when we focus primarily on making Bottles of Hope at home and during the February Guild Day. The Bottles of Hope that are created by our members are given to Diane for distribution to patients at the Comprehensive Cancer Center in Providence, RI. Diane continues to run workshops at the hospital where the patients cover bottles with polymer clay to make their own Bottles of Hope. She also runs workshops at the Cancer Center where the patients enjoy covering bottles with polymer clay to make their own Bottles of Hope.

One of our Guild members has introduced the Bottles of Hope Project into Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI. Another Guild member introduced the Bottles of Hope Project into Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, RI, where a group of dedicated nurses are managing the distribution of bottles to their in-patients and out-patients. This same wonderful group of nurses at Memorial Hospital is actually involved in the whole process, from collecting the bottles to covering them with clay and distributing them. Truly a labor of love.

For more information about the Bottles of Hope project:
~ Read Diane's full story on the Bottles of Hope website: www.bottlesofhope.org
~ Check out the Southern Connecticut Polymer Clay Guild website: http://www.scpcg.org/bottlesofhopepage.htm http://www.scpcg.org/bottlesofhopepage.htm where you can read much more about this wonderful program and how you can participate.
~ Learn how to make a Bottle of Hope on the Polyzine website: http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004march/makeboh.html

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