Cary girl uses art to help local families in need

Kathryn LaMattina is a little girl with a big message this season. The 7-year-old Cary girl is using her love of art to help The Carying Place, an organization that helps Wake County families get adequate housing.

Posted 3:51 a.m. Dec 10, 2010 — Updated 3:54 a.m. Dec 10, 2010

CARY, N.C. — Kathryn LaMattina is a little girl with a big message this season. The 7-year-old Cary girl is using her love of art to help The Carying Place, an organization that helps Wake County families get adequate housing.

Kathryn first learned about The Carying Place’s mission while doing a project with her YMCA Indian Princess tribe. The tribe decorated potholders and created a cookbook, which was given out with Thanksgiving supplies and meals to The Carying Place families.

When the project ended, Kathryn wasn’t ready to quit.

“After doing he presentation that night for her tribe, (Kathryn) said, ‘Daddy, I want to do something more for these families,’ and she went to her piggy bank and took some money out,” recalled her mother, Jennifer LaMattina.

With help from her family, Kathryn created Art From My Heart, a project in which she designs and sells holiday cards, with all the proceeds going to The Carying Place. She spent about a week creating three cards.

“I had a lot of practice sheets, a lot of mess ups,” Kathryn said. “It’s for a good cause, and they turned out really nice.”

A pack of 12 cards costs $10, and the 7-year-old said she hopes to raise $6,000. She also hopes to become a professional artist in the future.

“She’s a kid (who) has a big heart, and she has always been one who wants to help others,” Jennifer LaMattina said. “No matter how small you are, you can make a difference, and that’s something Kathryn’s project here has reminded me of.”

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