Great ideas have a funny way of appearing when you’re least focused; like during a meeting you’re not really paying attention to. Alonzo Harrison’s mural titled, Hope Starts at Life Stories, was born in the middle of a monthly meeting that staff members Susan McKenzie and Mattie Falk readily admit they weren't paying attention to. Their boss, Lisa, certainly hasn’t forgotten, as she makes fun of them for it all the time. “I knew something weird was happening the second I looked over at them,” Lisa laughed. Amid their distracted brainstorming, Mattie mouthed across the room as if trying not to get caught, “What if we painted a mural?” Half-joking, half-serious, the idea might have ended there, but Susan, deeply connected to the arts community, immediately started thinking about who she knew. Her first thought was Tim Coons at the Weld Community Foundation. “Tim never actually responded to me,” she laughed. “Then out of nowhere, I got an email from someone I’d never met (apparently referred by Tim) who was interested in learning more. So, we set up a meeting.”
That someone was Alonzo Harrison, a Colorado native artist with a lifelong passion for painting. After studying liberal arts in Seattle, he eventually returned to Colorado, drawn back by community ties and a desire to make a difference where he grew up. When he heard about Life Stories, Alonzo felt an immediate personal connection. “I have family and friends who have experienced abuse,” he says. “Supporting kids going through the hardest moments of their lives and helping them get what they need to heal...that’s something I take seriously.”
The creative process was both exhilarating and challenging. With guidance from Mattie and Susan, Alonzo envisioned a mural that would move from dark to light, a visual representation of the transformation Life Stories makes possible. Bold colors, playful shapes, and a rainbow-inspired palette symbolize inclusivity and hope, a visual reminder that every child who walks through the doors belongs and is seen.
“Painting the mural wasn’t just physically demanding (I’m never using scaffolding again),” Alonzo jokes, “it was emotionally heavy, too.” He wanted each brushstroke to offer empowerment to the kids who visit Life Stories under difficult circumstances. “No one comes to Life Stories for a good reason,” he says. “So I wanted the space to give them something that would change the color of their experience.”
One of the most meaningful parts of the project, he says, were the moments when children stopped to watch or share their own love of drawing and painting. “Every time a child came in and lit up...it solidified why we were doing this,” Alonzo says. “It reminded me that the mural isn’t just decoration...it’s part of the healing process.”
After two and a half months of planning and painting, the mural was finished. “I hope the mural gives kids something to lean on, to brighten their mood, to remind them they have what it takes to heal,” Alonzo says. “If it can give them even one moment of lightness, then it’s doing exactly what it’s meant to do.”
Hope Starts at Life Stories is more than just a colorful addition to the organization’s lobby; it’s a symbol of hope, healing, and the vital work Life Stories does every day for children and families in Weld County. The Child Advocacy Center brings together law enforcement, medical professionals, and child protection specialists in one safe, supportive space, so children and families don’t have to navigate interviews, medical exams, and legal meetings in multiple locations. Life Stories also houses the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program, which pairs trained volunteers with children in the court system to ensure their voices are heard.
To learn more about Life Stories or to make a contribution, visit lifestoriesweld.org. Every gift helps continue this important work and ensures that children in need have a safe place to be heard and supported.