Lauren's Painting of a Mermaid was contributed to the Yes Prep School's Silent "Art In Action" Charity Benefit Auction in Houston on May 11, 2007. The purchaser bought it, and returned it to her for her private collection. The proceeds supported 15 Texas high school students and teachers participating in Peace Corps projects in West Africa that summer. The Peace Corps invited them to the villages of Wamfie and Kranka, Ghana. They helped build a community center for youth, many of whom suffer from or have lost parents to AIDS. They helped build homes, created sustainable alternative livelihood projects, and conducted health and HIV/AIDS prevention classes. www.yesprep.org
