VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICE
Service to the community is the heart of Harmony, leveraging more than 60,000 hours of volunteer time, a $1.5 million in-kind value. Annually, more than 1,000 volunteers representing the cultural mosaic of our community work together to serve their neighbors. Recreation centers are revived, community gardens are planted and maintained, meals are served, murals are painted, and supplies are donated, all while closing the gap between those who serve and those being served.
HARMONY COMMUNITY CHORUS
America’s largest community chorus requires no musical experience or audition: the only requirement is volunteer community service. Singers “earn” their way to the stage by serving others. Their concerts fill theaters, arenas, and parks with tens of thousands in attendance each year.
PRISON ARTS
Incarcerated women, men, and youth are provided the opportunity to express themselves creatively through their talents and voices, using shared experiences in the arts as a catalyst for healing.
Performances build community inside and outside the prison walls, helping to break down social barriers and shatter stereotypes.
Participants gain new perspectives, develop empathy, and increase self-confidence as they learn that where they are does not define who they are.
STUDENT ARTS
Weekly arts engagement classes foster social and emotional learning, creativity, responsibility, self-confidence, and community engagement for students throughout Franklin County.
The impact is reflected in Harmony’s newest student program with Columbus Global Academy and Columbus International High School serving immigrant and refugee students from over 25 countries. Students improve English-language skills by learning and performing music together. They also learn about needs in their own Northland neighborhood and how they can be catalysts for change in their community.
COMMUNITY ARTS
Differently-abled adults, men and women who have experienced homelessness, and people who have experienced significant physical and/or mental health trauma and live at or below the poverty line are empowered through performing live for audiences across Central Ohio. Participants sing and work alongside volunteers in the community, resulting in an integrated community experience of cooperation, creativity, and social connection.
Current partners include Alvis, Inc., ARC Industries, Open Door, Goodwill Columbus, IBA Support Services, National Church Residences.
ONE FAMILY
An innovative program providing practical resources as well as social and emotional support for individuals whose lives have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Participants meet monthly for a shared meal and conversation in a non-judgmental environment, and are introduced to community partners who can assist with reducing obstacles and opening doors to employment opportunity. Together, participants and community partners form a supportive “family” environment where the past is not dragged into the present, and the future is one of opportunity, growth, and connection.
These “families” break down barriers, shift perceptions, and shatter stereotypes about system-impacted individuals, and empower both the participants and the community partners with an amplified voice as “one family” working toward a more sustainable and successful future.