Instrument-lending program brings music to Vancouver homeless
Last Updated: Friday, July 25, 2008 | 2:45 PM ET
CBC News
A Vancouver program that gives the homeless access to musical instruments is on the lookout for donations.
The program is operated by community workers at Oppenheimer Park, located in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, and keeps instruments at the park to lend them out for anyone to use during the day.
Though the initial offerings — including a piano and a guitar — arrived thanks to a donation and a $500 grant from the Vancouver Foundation, more instruments are needed, said Coleen Carroll, one of the organizers.
"We've got a lot of homeless people in Vancouver and they can't carry around their instruments, but something they did bring from the homes they had before was their music," she told CBC News.
"We're hoping that we can get a few extra pieces from people in Vancouver that want to donate as well, because we've pretty well used up all our money."
Some of the regular participants are even collaborating on an entry for the CBC's compose a new Hockey Night in Canada theme contest, which carries a cash prize of $100,000 and half of the future royalties, organizers said.
The instrument-lending initiative is a valuable mode of expression, said Sharrison Kaiser, who stopped by this week to play the piano.
"It's the best language for me to communicate my guts," Kaiser said.
Organizers are also seeking to feature music lessons to expand the program beyond just impromptu jam sessions for park visitors.
With files from Jeremy Nuttall
