Meet Kate-Yeonjae Jeong | Founder of Light Up Network

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate-Yeonjae Jeong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate-Yeonjae, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
To answer what Light Up Network does for the community, I’m first going to rewind to the beginning of when I first formed this community project.

In March of 2020, right before the pandemic struck, I organized an arts event with Noah’s House, a non-profit organization that provides residential homes for the elderly with disabilities. It was planned as an arts & crafts event where seniors would create collage art with youth from creative materials such as magazine cut-outs, stickers, glitter, etc. I didn’t plan for it to be a recurring project, but the event was such a wonderful experience that I wanted to do it again and again. The youth members and I simply had such a fun time making art and sharing stories with the seniors, and the event had us spirited with the most heartwarming feeling. However, just weeks later, the pandemic struck, and we were at a halt as the world went through COVID-19. Now, as the world is slowly coming back, we are bringing back the art events in a more developed community project called Light Up Network.

Essentially, Light Up Network offers Care Through Art programs, which include arts & craft activities or art performances. Our arts and crafts activities range from watercolor painting to card-making, and our art performances showcase our talented youth members dancing, singing, playing instruments, reading poetry, and more. Due to the pandemic, our art performances have shifted to a virtual format, where recorded videos are shared with the seniors. Our Care Through Art events are hosted in partnership with nursing homes, hospitals, and non-profit organizations nationwide.

Currently, Light Up Network is in the process of launching a new program called Birthday Bash. With Birthday Bash, seniors will be sent personalized birthday videos with personalized messages, music, dancing, and more, all from our youth members to celebrate their big day. With this newest program, we hope to prevent elderly isolation and make someone’s special day extra special.

With these events, our hope is to brighten someone’s day with the creativity and positivity that art can bring us- and foster intergenerational connections. We believe in the power of communication, and hope to build inspiring relationships within our community.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe Light Up Network is one of a kind because it connects seniors and youth in a way that feels authentic and genuine, and is all about the heart-to-heart moments. Nothing makes me happier than to know that we are truly impacting others’ lives, despite how small or big the gesture may be.

I’m beyond proud of all of our achievements, such as establishing art events in our local senior centers or partnering with Veterans Hospitals nationwide. What makes me the most proud, however, is the hearts we touch and the smiles we bring upon people’s faces, on both our youth members’ and the seniors’. I love being able to connect with people on another level and immerse in conversations and laughter. Experiencing firsthand how art can genuinely bring us together is truly inspiring.

Without a doubt, I’ve learned some huge lessons when it comes to communication and organization. I have single-handedly scheduled all Care Through Art events, for both in-person events and virtual performances, in addition to developing event ideas and delegating upcoming projects. From these experiences, I was able to learn the skill of presenting my community project in a way that truly encapsulated our mission and highlighted our efforts.

If there was one thing about our community project that I wish people knew, it would be that it’s more than just doing simple art activities in our community. It’s about building relationships, opening new perspectives, and spreading contagious smiles.

One other thing: if you’re a senior or an organization who would be interested in participating in our events, we would love to have you! We absolutely follow the philosophy of “the more the merrier” and would be enthusiastic to share the joy of art with you. To learn more, visit lightupnetwork.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hands down, any places with appealing scenery or intriguing items are bound to make for a successful day out with your best friend. I love checking out museums such as the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Dallas Museum of Art. I also adore the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As mentioned above, before the pandemic struck, our first ever Care Through Art was hosted in partnership with Noah’s House. We wish to dedicate a shoutout to Noah’s House for collaborating with us on arts & crafts events, and to its seniors, for their always amiable, positive energy and warm hugs. You bring us joy.

We also want to shout out the various Veterans Hospitals we have partnered with- special mentions to: Houston DeBakey Veterans Hospital, VA Pacific Islands, James A. Haley Hospital, Pueblo VA Nursing Home, and more. Even with the barriers that the pandemic and its lockdowns have imposed upon us, we are delighted to share our youth members’ art with your veterans via a virtual format.

Lastly, we want to mention our members: Light Up Network would not be who we are without you. It’s inspiring to see such immense talent from my peers, and I’m empowered by how we can use our love for art to spread positivity. Thank you for using your passion to put smiles on others’ faces!

Website: lightupnetwork.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightupnetwork/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsjrsTlUGfGAW4PhgPv6dg/videos