Harmonies for Hope
Donation protected
Introduction
Harmonies for Hope (H4H) is a music program that offers homeless individuals opportunities to engage with music through participation in informal jam sessions and open mic sessions at homeless shelters, drop-ins, and other community hubs. There are so many homeless people in Toronto with a talent and/or passion for music, and our goal is to provide music opportunities that they may not otherwise have. The chance to take part in music puts smiles on faces and can bring back memories of happier times in life.
How will the money be used?
Money raised through this campaign will primarily be used towards acquiring a collection of music and sound equipment. The equipment will travel with a volunteer facilitator from location to location and allow for jam sessions or open mic sessions to take place on a regularly scheduled basis.
Equipment ranges from inexpensive items such as shakers and tambourines, to microphones, guitars and a keyboard, with the most expensive item being a sound system to pull it all together. Donations of any size make a huge difference. A $25 donation will buy a tambourine. A $50 donation will buy a ukelele. A $250 donation will buy a guitar. A $1,000 donation will buy a sound system to make it all sound fantastic!
Some money will be set aside for ongoing maintenance of the equipment. Another pool of funds will be kept for the possibility of purchasing an instrument from time to time to give to a program participant under the right circumstances with a certain combination of talent and passion.
When are the funds needed?
The current plan is to start purchasing equipment in June 2017, in anticipation of scheduled programming starting in the fall of 2017.
Why is this an important cause?
There are so many homeless people in Toronto with a talent and/or passion for music. Music brings people together and becomes a common denominator amongst diverse groups. Music puts smiles on people's faces, particularly people who have a lifestyle that is not conducive to owning their own instrument, and may not have played an instrument for many many years. Music can temporarily take peoples' minds off their day-to-day struggles, and remind them of a happier time in life. As the Oliver Sacks quote depicted says, "Music brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can." I have witnessed all of this first hand, and want to continue to be able to do so for more and more homeless people for years to come.
Thank you!
Any donation would mean so much to me, as bringing music to homeless people is a huge passion of mine. More importantly, donations will go towards improving lives of marginalized people in a unique way. Thank you in advance for any contribution you are able to make. And if we are fortunate enough to exceed the fundraising goal, I have a lot of other potential future plans to grow H4H, so I assure you all donations will be put to good use, bringing the gift of music to people living on the margins of society.
Rob Dixon
Founder, Harmonies for Hope
www.harmonies4hope.org
Harmonies for Hope (H4H) is a music program that offers homeless individuals opportunities to engage with music through participation in informal jam sessions and open mic sessions at homeless shelters, drop-ins, and other community hubs. There are so many homeless people in Toronto with a talent and/or passion for music, and our goal is to provide music opportunities that they may not otherwise have. The chance to take part in music puts smiles on faces and can bring back memories of happier times in life.
How will the money be used?
Money raised through this campaign will primarily be used towards acquiring a collection of music and sound equipment. The equipment will travel with a volunteer facilitator from location to location and allow for jam sessions or open mic sessions to take place on a regularly scheduled basis.
Equipment ranges from inexpensive items such as shakers and tambourines, to microphones, guitars and a keyboard, with the most expensive item being a sound system to pull it all together. Donations of any size make a huge difference. A $25 donation will buy a tambourine. A $50 donation will buy a ukelele. A $250 donation will buy a guitar. A $1,000 donation will buy a sound system to make it all sound fantastic!
Some money will be set aside for ongoing maintenance of the equipment. Another pool of funds will be kept for the possibility of purchasing an instrument from time to time to give to a program participant under the right circumstances with a certain combination of talent and passion.
When are the funds needed?
The current plan is to start purchasing equipment in June 2017, in anticipation of scheduled programming starting in the fall of 2017.
Why is this an important cause?
There are so many homeless people in Toronto with a talent and/or passion for music. Music brings people together and becomes a common denominator amongst diverse groups. Music puts smiles on people's faces, particularly people who have a lifestyle that is not conducive to owning their own instrument, and may not have played an instrument for many many years. Music can temporarily take peoples' minds off their day-to-day struggles, and remind them of a happier time in life. As the Oliver Sacks quote depicted says, "Music brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can." I have witnessed all of this first hand, and want to continue to be able to do so for more and more homeless people for years to come.
Thank you!
Any donation would mean so much to me, as bringing music to homeless people is a huge passion of mine. More importantly, donations will go towards improving lives of marginalized people in a unique way. Thank you in advance for any contribution you are able to make. And if we are fortunate enough to exceed the fundraising goal, I have a lot of other potential future plans to grow H4H, so I assure you all donations will be put to good use, bringing the gift of music to people living on the margins of society.
Rob Dixon
Founder, Harmonies for Hope
www.harmonies4hope.org
Organizer
Rob Dixon
Organizer
Toronto, ON
