|
We at St. Josaphat Parish are proud and excited to honor this year's Unity Award winner, Harmony Hope & Healing. Harmony Hope & Healing (HHH) is a small nonprofit that provides creative, therapeutic, and educational music programs offering emotional and spiritual support to homeless and under-served women, children and men in the Chicago area. Founded by Marge Nykaza in 2000, HHH has grown to serve over 840 individuals at 11 locations, primarily on the South and West sides of Chicago. The most public face of the organization is the HHH choir, which sings monthly at Old St. Pat's and will be singing at St. Josaphat at the 10 am Mass this Sunday. However, HHH's most important work is done at various sites, including St. Martin de Porres House of Hope, a shelter in Woodlawn for women in recovery and their children; St. Leonard's Ministries, a transitional housing and education program for formerly incarcerated men and women on the West Side; and The Institute of Women Today, which operates two shelters and a program for senior citizens in Englewood.
What makes HHH incredibly special is the way it reaches out to and touches the hearts of those who participate in their programs. These people often find themselves in difficult situations and are looking for guidance, love and support to get back on their feet. Through music, HHH provides all of that and--perhaps just as importantly--joy and happiness. There are countless stories of how HHH has changed the lives of people throughout the city.
One of these stories is that of Amanda. Amanda came to HHH in 2006 battling addiction. She said she "didn't have anything to sing about." HHH "opened her heart to the recovery process" and allowed her to turn her life around. She began to sing in the HHH choir and now is a HHH program assistant. In addition, she was inspired to go back to school and is now a 3rd year student at DePaul University majoring in Community Wellness, Spirituality and Counseling. Stories like Amanda's remind us that even people who have made wrong turns in life can be vessels of love and beacons of light if they are given the opportunities and tools to do so. HHH provides people like Amanda the chance not only to turn their own lives around but also to help their friends, neighbors and communities grow and flourish. To hear more of Amanda's story, visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLb9FIDp4Bw&feature=youtu.be.
HHH plans to continue to grow their staff and program locations to provide the healing power of music to more people in need. Susan Yant, one of HHH's staff members, says that the Unity Award "validates [HHH's] growth thus far" and will help them to continue to increase their presence in communities throughout the city.
Please give a warm St. Josaphat welcome to members of Harmony Hope & Healing at Mass and at Sweet Home Chicago next weekend!
|
