Clear Issue or Challenge

Lack of coping mechanisms and ways to express emotions in the most vulnerable population within our communities: the low income people of color.

Plan

Collaboration between nonprofits and community leaders to help children learn Emotional Intelligence Coping Techniques using Music Therapy.

Cultural Diversity

Safe Harbor Counseling Institute is a nonprofit organization that specifically helps the marginalized population in our society, the uninsured, low-income, unemployed. As the first all-Spanish-speaking Psychology organization, they have been at the forefront of bringing much-needed mental health services to those that don’t have access to it.

My Harmony Project was born after I fell in love with the idea of using Music to help people heal. As a long-time volunteer to the nonprofit organization, an immigrant myself, and someone that genuinely cares about making our society better for our children, I put my passion together with my skills and decided to help my People of Color learn music too.

Transformative Outcome

A healthier community, where children are better equipped to handle the unexpected instances of life and have a much better upbringing to become confident, happy adults. Changing the world for our next generations, by breaking the cycles of emotional trauma and ending the stigma to Mental Health.

Impact

So far, our work has grown from one music class to multiple and we are seeing so many benefits in the children that have been attending. Depressions are no longer a worry, anxieties are less and less present, it’s amazing seeing the impact that music has within the human mind and soul.

Our work is being studied by the Psychologists and we are starting to get media attention, but as it is more present in the public eye, we are getting overwhelmed with what we can do. We have a vision to open a center specifically for this project. To make it something greater with the potential to not only change a couple kid’s lives but to actually create a wave of impact throughout the communities around the nation.

Being awarded this grant would give the capabilities to expand this project to reach more children in need, the ones that are lost, afraid, silent, lonely, misunderstood, sidelined from society, dealing with heavy emotions and needing a creative outlet.

To expand our reach, we’ve added more classes, more instruments, as well as started online teaching through video. With this grant, we can expand even more on our Virtual Learning, improve the experience and even travel as a Symphony to locations that have a high percentage of People of Color to show them what is possible.

We have a vast network of nonprofits, community leaders, volunteers and are organizationally equipped to carry out the next phases of our plan. Your grant would help us bring these solutions faster to the most vulnerable population. Our communities are suffering, lost, crying for help – we are here to show them that we can find healing within ourselves by letting our emotions create a beautiful Symphony for the world to enjoy.