Meet Vilner

Vilner has always liked to draw. After moving to Wings of Hope in November 2015, he
could always be found scratching out drawings on whatever paper was available. They were simple drawings, but they showed a spark of artistic talent. His physical disabilities made drawing a challenge and time-consuming, but he was determined to get the pictures in his head down on paper.

In 2016, the St. Joseph Family leadership asked Vilner to do some drawings for
their Christmas cards. Using coloring-booklike pages as inspiration, Vilner used plain white paper and crayons to create four pictures: a Christmas tree, a candle, an angel, and a nativity scene. They were well-done for someone without any training, who also had movement issues with his hands.

Eventually Vilner shared his dreams of becoming an artist and how much he loved to draw. The leadership at Wings of Hope offered him the chance to take private art lessons so he could chase his dreams. When Broadway’s Babies started to partner with the St. Joseph Family in 2018, Vilner continued and expanded his arts education. Not only does he continue to take classes in drawing and painting, but now he also participates in dance and drumming classes to further express his talents and passion through the arts.

Vilner has become a popular artist with the visitors and contacts of the St. Joseph Family
and now regularly sells his artwork. This has enabled him to learn about responsibility and that his creativity has value. Vilner loves spending the money he earns on clothes, electronics, and other items.

Vilner is one of the reasons that the motto of Wings of Hope is "possibilities, not disabilities."