Music for the Homeless

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke Jul 28, 2008

If you happen to have a few musical instruments lying around going to waste, put them to good use by donating them to a homeless shelter. Since musical instruments are rather bulky, most homeless have to give up their music when they live on the streets. However, community workers in the Oppenheimer Park decided that no one should be without music.

Oppenheimer Park is located in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood of Vancouver, B.C. and boasts a community center, among other amenities.

With a $500 grant from the Vancouver Foundation and a few donations, community workers have been able to put a piano and a guitar in the park, for anyone to use during the day. The program is off to a good start but needs many more instruments.

Some of the neighborhood talent is so good that they are collaborating on an entry for the CBC's compose a new Hockey Night in Canada theme contest. This contest offers a cash prize of $100,000 and half of the future royalties.

Could the Vancouver program be the start of a good idea to get music access to everyone, regardless of one's housing status?

For more information, please read the CBC News article.