Support Vincent and Taleesha's post-fire recovery

How do you rebuild a home, or start anew somewhere else? One item at a time. One chair, one sofa, one dish, glass, plate, bed at a time. One new photo album at a time to put new memories in. One new toy or a piece of clothing at a time. Look into your heart and help them rebuild, please.

Hi, my name is Audrey Childs. I am creating this fundraiser to assist some very dear friends.

On Wednesday May 1, 2024, six adults and three children were displaced after a large house fire in Northeast Washington D.C. The house was fully engulfed in flames and spread to two adjacent homes. Sadly, one of the homes that suffered significant damage was the home of our very own Vincent and Taleesha Richardson. They have lost everything. We are grateful that everyone was unharmed physically after escaping the fire.

Vincent and Taleesha are the founders and directors of the Richardson School of Music, which has served the Takoma Park and surrounding community for the past 10 years. Students from beginners to advanced, have passed through the doors and developed their musical skills. The school has been invaluable in developing musical talent in both children and adults by staffing it with talented and degreed musicians and teachers, and has presented successful and enjoyable performance recitals that were always highly attended. They also offer a quality yearly summer program of musical enrichment. Even through the pandemic, they held virtual lessons and recitals. This speaks to their passion and dedication to music instruction and performance. Both are accomplished musicians in their own right. Even through this personal tragedy, they were still dedicated enough to hold a faculty meeting just a few days after this, to make sure that the school continues to run smoothly, recitals are performed, and teachers are paid and kept abreast of events for the continued success of the school. I am on the piano faculty at the Richardson School of Music and have been there since it began. Vincent is a proud graduate of Howard University and is currently a Graduate Assistant on the piano faculty. Taleesha, a stellar soprano, has degrees from both the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University and The New England Conservatory of Music. She is currently a music teacher at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Northwest Washington, DC.

We are asking the community to rally around the Richardsons in a generous way, and no donation is too small. Please give from your heart, which will allow this family to get back on their feet personally and continue this important work for our community that they love so much.

The Richardson School of Music. Serving students in the Metropolitan area for 10 years!

Folks, we are 1/10 of the way toward our goal, and hope to go beyond it! Please keep those donations coming in!

We have gone beyond our 1/10 goal! Thank you so much. What will your donations be used for? Oh my, how do you rebuild 10 years of memories and precious belongings? We know that some will never be able to be replaced, but new memories of precious times will be created, little by little. Please keep this campaign present in your minds and hearts, and our goal will be met!