It’s official–the care packages are out the door!
Back in December 2020, we reached out to the Roman Music Therapy community about donations for care packages. As part of our partnership with Raising the Blues, Ltd., we hoped to gather both musical and non-musical items to deliver to the group homes we currently serve. Now, we’re proud to announce that as of March 2021, those packages have been put together and and are being delivered.
Over the past few months, we have been working hard to gather the items for these care packages. Raising the Blues–a non-profit that brings music and instruments to children with unique life challenges–was our biggest supporter. They provided over $3,000 worth of instruments including drums, shakers, keyboards, ukuleles, and more.
Our Roman Music Therapy Services community also got involved. Many folks generously donated other items such as adult coloring books, CDs, puzzles and games, and crafting supplies. All donations were put to good use. Once everything was gathered, our team to assemble and deliver the completed packages to the 32 group homes we serve.
A Labor of Love
This project was a labor of love for all involved. From the folks at Raising the Blues who donated instruments to our own staff who put in time and effort to assemble and drop off each package, everyone worked hard to see it through.
We wanted to undertake this effort as a way to support the group homes we work with. Across the state, these facilities
have been under significant pressure over the past year of the pandemic. Research shows people living in residential group homes may be at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. Quarantining and managing social isolation have been big challenges for both staff and residents alike. Not only are the clients of these residences isolated and vulnerable, but the staff that care for them are under the constant strain of keeping themselves and their clients safe.
At Roman Music Therapy Services, our purpose as an organization is to spread experiences of shared joy through music making. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us, forcing us to shift and adapt to new ways of serving our clients and community. This project, in partnership with Raising the Blues, is one way we hope to bring some fun, joy and spontaneity into each group home we serve. We also think the residents are going to be very excited to use their own instruments in our music therapy sessions!
While we have not been able to go out and visit clients in-person like we used to, our goal is to keep the music playing. Thank you to our community and Raising the Blues for collaborating on this project and helping us serve our clients. Even in the midst of a pandemic, the music continues on!