NEW YORK, NY — Sing for Hope is honored to announce it has received a $25,000 Creative Forces® Community Engagement Grant for Year Two of its vital project, Building Community Through the Arts: Elevating and Deepening Creative Engagement and Connection for Veterans in Long-Term Care. This grant supports Sing for Hope’s ongoing partnership with the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx.
Building on the success of Year One, Year Two of the program seeks to deepen live music programming at the hospital’s Community Living Center (CLC). The initiative will strengthen continuity and impact by sustaining regular sessions led by professional musicians who curate repertoire based on participant and staff feedback. This responsible, person-centered approach fosters agency, cultural relevance, and a sense of belonging, while promoting social connection and emotional wellbeing.
Through ongoing reflection with veterans, their caregivers, and staff, the project continuously refines its approach, embedding live music as a consistent, meaningful component of care that reduces isolation, enhances quality of life, and strengthens community in long-term residential care.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is honored to support these Creative Forces Community Engagement grant projects, which use the arts to strengthen connections and enhance the lives of military service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Through these efforts, organizations across the country are creating welcoming spaces where military-connected individuals can connect, express themselves, and share their stories through the arts, while recognizing and honoring the dedication and sacrifices of those who have served our nation.”
“Creative Forces recognizes that the arts can play a powerful role in health and well-being—not only by fostering creative expression, but by strengthening the relationships and sense of belonging that help people and communities thrive,” said Todd Stein, president and CEO of Mid-America Arts Alliance. “These community-based partnerships offer military service members, veterans, families, and caregivers opportunities to build resilience, navigate transitions, and forge lasting connections through the arts. We’re proud to partner with the National Endowment for the Arts to expand this work in communities across the country.”
Building Community Through the Arts Year Two: Elevating and Deepening Creative Engagement and Connection for Veterans in Long-Term Care is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. Creative Forces is managed in partnership with Civic Arts, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, and Mid-America Arts Alliance.
To learn more about Sing for Hope’s Public Health & Wellbeing program and initiatives, visit singforhope.org/health. To explore the Creative Forces initiative and other grant recipients, visit arts.gov/CreativeForces.
About Sing for Hope
Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, and public spaces worldwide. A nonprofit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. This year marks Sing for Hope’s 25th anniversary, celebrating a quarter-century of dynamic creative service and dedication to bringing communities together through the transformative power of the arts. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal.
Sing for Hope’s work is made possible by the Sing for Hope Founders’ Circle: The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Sing for Hope Global Patron), Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold, The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, Jacqueline Novogratz and Chris Anderson, Pershing Square Philanthropies, The Seedlings Foundation, and Ann Ziff; and the generosity of public donors.
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