Thirty years ago, Mary Strawn took the bold step of leaving her pediatrics practice to devote herself to helping high-risk youth through therapeutic art.

She worked with young burn survivors while volunteering at the Maricopa County Hospital, helping them cope with trauma through creative expression. When she attended The Arizona Burn Foundation’s Camp Courage for burn survivors, her husband Kirk, also a physician with an artistic bent, joined her and brought with him Walter – a giant VW bus, converted from an old fire truck that once served at Luke Air Force Base.

They continued working with kids, and in 2017 The Walter Hive was born, based on their vision of providing programs that support creative expression for all ages and experience levels. This includes work with the both the general public and specific communities, from youth through dementia clients. The Walter Hive partners with several other non-profit organizations such as Cancer Support Community, Boys and Girls Clubs, Hospice of the Valley, and many others.

Click here to learn more about The Walter Hive: https://www.thewalterhive.org/

Original air date: August 21, 2025.