Beneficiaries
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington
A portion of the proceeds of Music with a Mission’s 2017 Springtime In Paris performance benefitted Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington, a faith-based, social services organization, delivering critical direct care human services to over 83,000 individuals and families residing in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. No one is excluded from service because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, or ability to pay. Catholic Charities provides a wide range of services to people who need special help. Services include Basic Needs Support, Food Assistance, Emergency Shelter, Counseling and Immigration Support. We were honored to provide $2,500 in support to Catholic Charities.
Get more information about Catholic Charities at: https://www.ccwilm.org.
Family Promise of Northern New Castle County
A portion of the proceeds from the 2016 Jazz Christmas benefitted Family Promise of Northern New Castle County, Inc., a community-based non-profit dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness for families in our community. Importantly, Family Promise remains consistently true to their promise to keep families together. Their mission is to prevent and end homelessness for families by engaging volunteers, donors, and the faith community.
They provide shelter and case management services to hundreds of families experiencing homelessness. They are the only nonprofit in Delaware that has always provided shelter and services to families with children regardless of their size, make-up or composition. In 2019 they served 44.9% of all families experiencing homelessness in Delaware.
Music with a Mission proudly presented Family Promise of New Castle County with a gift of $4,660.
Visit the Family Promise of Northern New Castle County website at:
The Flight 93 Memorial
P.O. Box 911, Shanksville, PA 15560 (814) 893-6322
As the Music with a Mission nonprofit Board of Directors crystalized plans for the premiere of Requiem for 9/11, it felt strongly that the sacrifice and heroism of September 11, 2001, should be remembered and honored. In time, the actions on that day of thousands of Americans of all walks of life proved our resolve as a nation, and that hope for the future does overcome despair.
The conclusion the Boards reached was that no sequence of heroic actions better represented, and still represents, the basic values we hold and love for our country than the brave and selfless actions of the 40 crew members and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93. They knew they were unlikely to survive under any circumstance, so they resolved not to let that group of terrorists prevail.
As is so simply and eloquently stated on the Flight 93 Memorial website (make it a link), There was “a common field one day” that suddenly became “a field of honor forever.”
We were honored and humbled that the National Parks Foundation agreed to accept our contribution of $10,000 from the proceeds of the premiere. Our partner from the Flight 93 group was King Laughlin, Vice President of the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Friendship House
Portions of proceeds from the 1997 premiere of Mass for the Homeless and the 2017 performance of A Jazz Christmas supported Friendship House. They unite people facing homelessness with loving, supportive communities they can call home. Friendship House endeavors to meet individuals and families wherever they are in their journey.
They strive to fill the gaps in New Castle County’s homeless service network through multiple programs including:
Empowerment Centers that help to address individual and community needs with services that include Basic Hospitality, Access to Phone, Computer, & a Mailing Address, Case Management and Referral Services and a Sunday Breakfast program.
Space in New Castle County’s Hope Center where group and individual housing and other services are available through a number of similar organizations.
Transitional Housing at various locations.
Learn more about Friendship House at https://www.friendshiphousede.org.
We are proud that the total money raised for Friendship House to date is $11,000.
Gold Star Families of Delaware
It was an honor for Music with a Mission, to support Gold Star Families of Delaware with the proceeds of the 20th Anniversary Ensemble performance of Requiem for 9/11, presented on September 12, 2021. The Gold Star Families of Delaware mission is supported by Delaware Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 83.
The term Gold Star has been used since World War I as a symbol for immediate family members whose loved ones have given their life in war. It was not until 1947 that Congress designated the version we know today — The Gold Star Lapel pin - as the official symbol of a family members sacrifice. The pin is a gold star on a field of purple surrounded by laurel leaves and is issued to immediate family members whose loved one died in a combat theatre or act of terrorism. Only the following relatives of the deceased qualify as Gold Star Families:
Widow/Widower, Mother/Father, Stepmother/Stepfather, Adoptive Mother/Father, Foster Mother/Father in loco parentis, Son/Daughter, Stepson/Stepdaughter, Son/Daughter by adoption, Brother/Sister, Half-brother/Half-sister
Music with a Mission was honored to present a contribution of $5,000 that will be dedicated to Delaware Gold Star Families for the completion of the Gold Star Memorial at Delaware River & Bay Authority’s Veterans Memorial Park. The funds are dedicated to the addition of a walkway, benches, lighting, and landscaping to complete the creation of this moving space, located on Cherry Lane, just east of the intersection with Route 9 South, adjacent to the Delaware Memorial Bridge Plaza.
Judy C. Campbell, Gold Star Chairperson of Delaware Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 83 captures the significance of the tribute, depicted in the memorial, “These men and women sacrificed so much for our freedom. We should never forget their sacrifice and that of their families. Their lives are changed forever when a loved one dies in active-duty service to our Country. This memorial is one small way that we can remember and pay tribute to these heroes and their families.”
Lutheran Community Services
We were pleased to contribute a portion of the proceeds from the 2019 presentation of A Jazz Christmas to Lutheran Community Services of Delaware. LCS helps individuals and families address food, housing, and other essential needs with programs that include:
Emergency financial assistance for those who are at risk of losing their homes or losing access to utilities. They can provide finances to help pay late mortgage or rent payments, security deposits and payments to prevent utility shutoff.
Food pantries and related services that provide a variety of nutritious food for individuals and families in our area who are food insecure. They operate 4 pantry locations as well as Food Clubs and food deliveries to needy senior communities.
Health services such as the pilot program partnership with Christiana Care that provides multidisciplinary health care to at-risk communities in conjunction with the LCS Food Farmacy service. LCS also provides smoking cessation services in partnership with Delaware Quitline.
We are proud that Music with a Mission – provided Lutheran Community Services with a gift of $2,000.
You can learn more about Lutheran Community Services at: https://lcsde.org.
Ministry of Caring
We were pleased to ad a portion of the proceeds from 2022’s “A Jazz Christmas” to the contributions from the 1997 premiere and 1999 encore performances of Mass for the Homeless to Ministry of Caring in Wilmington, Delaware. In the words of Ministry of Caring founder, Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM Cap. Founder and Executive Director:
“The poor should never be treated poorly.”
Ministry of Caring fulfills this vision with a broad array of programs and services. Through the nutritious meals for the hungry at Emmanuel Dining Room. Through the cheerful rooms for residents of its shelters, transitional residences and long-term housing. Through the helping hands it lends to the jobless. Through the child-care and education for offspring of the poor and homeless. And with varied and constantly evolving outreach services to anyone in need.
We have contributed a total of $14,000 to Ministry of Caring to assist in its outstanding mission. You can learn more about Ministry of Caring at:
https://www.ministryofcaring.org
Salvation Army
We were pleased to contribute a portion of the proceeds from the 1997 premiere and 1999 encore performances of Mass for the Homeless to the Salvation Army Delaware Command.
The Salvation Army of Delaware is a faith-based, comprehensive human service organization whose programs help individuals, families and whole communities lead healthier, safer, and more productive lives.
Salvation Army takes a holistic approach to providing for the needs of the whole individual – physically, emotionally, economically, and spiritually. The Salvation Army Delaware has 4 worship centers, a community center, emergency housing residence, child-care, senior center, family services crisis alleviation, programs for adults with disabilities, and programs for working parents who are on welfare, but are working to transition to self-sufficiency. Their locations throughout Delaware offer shelter, hot meals, counseling, early childhood development, recreational opportunities, music programs, after-school arts and educational programs, job training, activities for older adults, spiritual development, drug rehabilitation and more.
Music with a Mission – Music with a Mission was pleased to provide $11,000 to Salvation Army.
You can learn more about the Salvation Army Delaware Command at: https://pa.salvationarmy.org/delaware-command/
Sojourner’s Place
We were pleased to contribute a portion of the proceeds from the 1997 premiere and 1999 encore performances of Mass for the Homeless to Sojourner’s Place in Wilmington, Delaware. Sojourner’s Place provides shelter and an array of individualized services for homeless men and women that empowers our residents to return to the community as independent citizens.
Sojourner’s assists homeless men & women on their journey to self-sufficiency through a case-managed residential program that includes a 4-step client driven acceptance process. Residents stay at Sojourners’ Place for as long as they need to stop being homeless. A successful graduate leaves Sojourners’ Place with a full-time job and housing.
In addition, Sojourner’s place offers re-entry services to ex-offenders as they are released from prison. They work directly with each ex-offender to coordinate the transition plan of each person to ensure the appropriate services and supports are available and accessed.
Music with a Mission awarded $11,000 to Sojourner’s Place.
You can learn more about Sojourner’s Place at http://www.sojournersplace.org.
Sunday Breakfast Mission
We were pleased to contribute a portion of the proceeds from the 1997 premiere and 1999 encore performances of Mass for the Homeless to the Sunday Breakfast Mission in Wilmington, Delaware. Sunday Breakfast Mission exists to serve the homeless, addicted, and impoverished through Christ-centered programs to meet their spiritual, social, and physical needs.
Sunday Breakfast Mission aids men struggling with the issues of homelessness and substance abuse in their dormitory style shelter that can house over 100 men, and through their New Life Discipleship program designed to equip each man with the necessary tools to break the cycles of addiction and homelessness.
Women and women with children get shelter at Sunday Breakfast Mission, including nutritious meals for themselves and their children. They benefit from the Women's New Life Discipleship program designed to empower women to overcome life-issues resulting from abuse, addiction, broken relationships, and homelessness.
Sunday Breakfast Mission also operates many community assistance programs serving needy men, women, children and families with meals, supplies and healthy activities.
Music with a Mission was pleased to provide Sunday Breakfast Mission with a gift of $11,000.
You can learn more about Salvation Army at: https://sundaybreakfastmission.org.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy
We chose The Center for Disaster Philanthropy of Washington, DC as the beneficiary for “A Concert for Ukraine” that occurred on October 23, 2022. The CDP’s Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Recovery Fund is a critical resource as the Ukrainian conflict drags on without any indication of a cease-fire. It focuses on medium- and long-term recovery, ensuring access to basic services and strengthening the protection of those affected by the humanitarian crisis and COVID-19. This encompasses different sectors, including education, food, health, protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene. CDP makes grants to locally-based organizations with the following priorities:
Offering longer-term and durable solutions that support the most vulnerable and at-risk populations to build resilience, assimilate/integrate and support a pathway to recovery for their futures.
Strengthening local capacities including local communities, humanitarian actors, organizations, infrastructure, leaders and systems.
Ensuring better and more inclusive humanitarian action for marginalized and at-risk groups, including through investing in advocacy and improving coordination.
Taking new and innovative approaches, including funding for pilot programs, research and evidence generation, or scaling up proven models/approaches.
The fund has contributed millions of dollars to date and will continue to wok with Local humanitarian leaders and organizations who know their community needs best, and play a vital role in providing immediate relief assistance and determining the best course for long-term equitable recovery in communities after a disaster or crisis. You can learn more about CDP at https://disasterphilanthropy.org.