Services

Biviana “Bivi” Franco is the President and Founder of Feel Beautiful Today (FBT). The organization delivers love, hope and encouragement to women and girls affected by cancer through its innovative Arts in Health programs – "Jewelry Workshop for Patients”, "Through My Window", "LUNA", "Boxes of Love", "Hope Reigns" and “Joined in Hope.”

In Georgia alone, 48,070 new cancer cases were discovered in 2015. Unfortunately, only 68% of these patients are projected to live beyond 5 years. As a result, Patient care and Quality of Life (QoL) is of the utmost importance to cancer centers and hospitals. Finding complementary programs that help to decrease the side effects of conventional cancer treatment, improving energy, wellbeing and overall quality of life is a priority to hospitals and cancer centers. Unfortunately, they are finding it difficult to provide complementary programs due to a lack of internal resources. Feel Beautiful Today (FBT) partners with hospitals and cancer centers in Atlanta to provide complementary Arts in Health programs to cancer patients that improve their QoL as part of an integrative oncology approach.

Each program was created to provide the patient in crisis with a critical boost to their overall wellbeing,” states Bivi. FBT’s activities complement the medical community’s effort to foster a positive healing environment for patients undergoing treatment by supporting the body-mind connection utilizing art in health as a way to lower stress and reduce anxiety.

Since its inception, these programs for cancer patients and survivors have been fully embraced by the patients, their families and beneficiaries-in-kind. “The feedback from the patients, social workers, nurse navigators has been very humbling and rewarding.”

Bivi began her career as an artist and art instructor under the tutelage of internationally trained artist Chris di Domizio, at his studio in Atlanta, where she was trained in the secrets and techniques of the Grand Masters. She began experimenting with several techniques and styles eventually leading to a successful career as an artist. Bivi later combined these techniques with her love of children and created the “On the Go Studio”. Her mission was to expand the creativity of children through art and successfully rolled out the program to hundreds of children in North Atlanta and throughout Cobb County in her other role as Artist in Residence with Cobb County Schools. In 2006, she was instrumental in designing the Art Ed program, a cross curriculum program that integrated the arts with the school curriculum, at Summit Hill Elementary where her two boys attended. That program went on to win first place in Fulton County as the “Best New Curriculum Enrichment Program”.

In 2010, cancer hit close to home and motivated her to action when her aunt passed away, two of her close friends battled with that terrible disease, and recently also her mom was affected by cancer. Bivi felt compelled to use her background and experience to help women and girls affected by cancer and hence the birth of Feel Beautiful Today. The organization became a 501(c)(3) in 2011 and has delivered Arts in Health programs tumor than 4,500 cancer patients through 15 beneficiaries-in-kind cancer centers and hospitals in the Atlanta metro area.

Awards and Honors

Best Cause – Feel Beautiful Today – 2014

Best Self Magazine, July 2014

Volunteer SpotLight – 2014

The Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

New Design "Painting the World With Hope" 2014

Foundation for Hospital Art

Prominent Hispanic Leaders of the Year Award – 2011

Mundo Hispanico / Cox Newspaper

Volunteer of the year 2011

Foundation for Hospital Art

Labor of Love Top Artist Selection – 2007 Grady Hospital

ArtED Best Cross-Curriculum Program for Elementary Schools – 2006

Fulton County Schools

AIU B.S. Fashion Design – 1996

Summa Cum Laude

Winner Best Collection for Children

"I believe there is a God. I believe there is a heaven. I believe that we have a purpose on this earth. I just want to be able to serve in this world and make a difference with the talents that God has given me."

Biviana "Bivi" Franco

Founder and Director

Feel Beautiful Today, Inc. 1160 Oakhaven Dr. Roswell, GA 30075. Tel: 770.757.1188

Feel Beautiful Today is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

FEEL BEAUTIFUL TODAY

770.757.1188

INFO@FEELBEAUTIFULTODAY.ORG