Notes of hope for homeless
Homeschooled musicians perform at Hope Rescue Mission
Mercy Drago climbed the stairs to the stage of the Hope Rescue Mission chapel recently.
A second-grader, Drago placed her sheet music on the upright piano rest, composed herself briefly, then played “Silent Night.”
You could have heard a pin drop between notes of the simple version of the Christmas carol she chose to perform.
The sanctuary fell silent as the audience, which included family members, friends and about 100 homeless men, anticipated the next performance, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” played by Julianna Sotomayor on cello.
Drago, Sotomayor and about 15 other musically inclined homeschooled students performed the sixth annual D’Addesi Concert for Hope.
Dr. Leonard D’Addesi, a Tower Health orthopedist, and his wife, Carla, herself a pianist and entrepreneur, homeschooled their three daughters, Vittoria, 19, Isabella, 16, and Giulia, 14, and also are active with the Reading Musical Foundation.
The couple created the D’Addesi Family Homeschool Scholarship Fund through the foundation to recognize the talents of homeschooled students who might not otherwise get to perform publicly through school programs, said Keri M. Schultz, foundation president.
Homeschooled kids might not otherwise experience the butterflies in their stomachs and the personal sense of accomplishment derived from performing before a crowd.
Schultz also said that many of the men living in the mission have children of their own, but through circumstances may not get to see them or visit with them on the holidays.
“For those men, this is a really special thing,” Schultz said.
Leonard D’Addesi said he serves on the homeless shelter’s board of directors and is aware of the services provided to the residents and what they’re missing out on over the holidays.
“The homeless are human beings just like the rest of us,” D’Addesi said. “We wanted to give back to our community.”
The performers
The 15 musicians who played represented eight families that homeschool their children, Schultz said. The scholarships are awarded on a merit and need-sensitive basis.
“The annual Concert for Hope helps teach young musicians that music in itself is a gift,” Shultz said.
“Additionally, the men residing at Hope Rescue Mission offer a gift of their own,” she said. “Their genuine applause and appreciation helps the students build their performance proficiency and confidence.”
The D’Addesi Family Homeschool Scholarship Fund was established in 2013 to provide music scholarship opportunities to homeschool families in Berks County.
A blended scholarship program, the fund offers merit and need-sensitive awards for elementary school instrumentalists. The Reading Musical Foundation manages the scholarship, hosting annual auditions each spring and reviewing need-sensitive requests throughout the year.
Last year, the program awarded one merit award for piano, one merit award for violin and three needsensitive awards for multiple instruments. Designed into the scholarship fund is a request that students share their gifts for a charitable purpose like the D’Addesi Concert for Hope. The family says it is their hope that recipients carry on the spirit of giving, in whatever form they’re able to.
In an effort to provide a place where homeless men can come to find relief from life on the streets, Hope Rescue Mission provides food, clothing and shelter to meet the physical needs of each of the men who come to the shelter, said Rob Turchi, executive director.
“Hope Rescue Mission connects their clients with other human service agencies to get the help they need to find release from addiction, mental health problems and chronic joblessness,” Turchi said. “Another key area of the organization is offering guidance to assure that their commitments of faith are grounded as they turn from the despair in which they find themselves to rely upon the truth of the Gospel.”
Over 80 years old, the Reading Musical Foudation is a public charity that provides financial support to music presenters in Berks County, music scholarships by audition and in response to financial need, and extensive music outreach, including programs in most of Berks County’s public and parochial schools. The foundation is governed by a self-perpetuating board of volunteer trustees, and is administered by two fulltime employees.