♩ Director’s Corner
Happy holidays to everyone!
Volunteers are preparing 4,500 cards. These will be homemade as well as pre-printed cards designed by Ana Eastep and printed by MCPADNET. They will go to 2,000 seniors, 1,000 hospital staff, many patients, 100 children in Title 1 schools, 700 military families in 68 U.S. Fisher Houses, and 500 First Responders Children.
Our volunteers send their brightest holiday wishes with each card. Included in the envelope will be a small, precious gift—a business card with the QR code for instant access to the huge video library of volunteers’ music and stories. These cards are designed by Michael Tacy to connect everyone with the Foundation’s private YouTube playlist. The links are included in holiday cards for all seniors, hospital staff, patients, Fisher House families, Walter Reed visitors in the America Building, and First Responders Children Foundation.
Volunteers are preparing holiday music to play for seniors. There will be caroling again, live music celebrations, and lots of joy from going in person to hear the stories of holidays past from seniors. Remarkably, seven events fill our lives with purposeful sharing each weekend. On school days, volunteers race to elementary schools for afterschool Piano Pals and Guitar Pals. At home, they are reading stories for the Reading Express video playlist, recording for the music playlist, and creating new music for a better world through Composer’s Circle.
We extend our gratitude and happy holiday wishes to you all and to:
• the young volunteers for creating messages of hope and love on each card
• Chief Interns for managing live music, piano and guitar pals, and the YouTube playlist
• all parents who provide resources, transportation, and encouragement for every live music event
• music teachers who train our student volunteers to play beautiful music on their instruments
• all adult volunteer staff who arrange and facilitate opportunities to serve and encourage everyone to be generous and gracious
• Michael Tacy, who manages Composer’s Circle and our web presence
• the Board of Directors for continued guidance and tremendous support
• Michael Favin, our brilliant newsletter editor
• Alison Boynton, our vivacious, conscientious Programs Manager
• Jenny Utz, the ever-faithful, judicious, and caring Data Manager for Student Service Learning since the Foundation’s beginnings
• Michael Engel, prolific recording engineer since the Foundation’s beginnings
• Karen and Homer Edwards, President and Vice-President of MCPADNET, the foundation’s design and shipping company
• Nakkai Long-Martin, MCPADNET’s enthusiastic Customer Service Manager
• Henry and Amera Bharmal, owners of Fast Signs
• Jacqueline Zappala, print designer and data manager par excellence, and
• the founding board members and many families who in 2008 carried the hope for the Foundation to grow the programs that we are so proud to bring to this community in the nation’s capital area.
Please note the brief article below on a performance for seniors at Brightview Great Falls. It stirs my heart that the music reminded them of their service and love of country. This was also another powerful moment for young volunteers who saw the seniors move to the music and sing the familiar patriotic songs. What a great affirmation that you all are making such a difference as you serve others. Hats off to the Great Falls team of musicians!
Charlotte Holliday
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A Note from Mrs. Berry, a volunteer adult supervisor for Piano Pals at
Brown Station Elementary School:
Piano Pals was cancelled last Wednesday due to the terrible gas explosion that occurred in the apartments across the street. My church, Greenridge Baptist Church, posted this in our weekly newsletter.
Many of you have heard about the explosions in the Potomac Oaks community in Gaithersburg. Nearly 75 people have been displaced because of the explosion. The biggest need right now is for clothing and monetary donations. If you want to help, there are two ways to do so. First, you can donate directly at http://www.mhpartners.org/gaithersburgfire. Second, you can donate clothing in the donation bin located in the Cove area of the main lobby.
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‘Tis the Season for Cards
Karina Willis-Lara, Adult Volunteer with the Tacy Foundation Cards Team
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Thank you to all the volunteers who created handmade cards for the First Responders Thank You Cards Project. The First Responders receiving these cards will know that we are so thankful for their selfless service to the greater community and all of them are true heroes!
We collected several hundred (900+) designed cards with thoughtful messages from volunteers in Maryland and Virginia. Our volunteers showed these First Responders that we are thankful and appreciative of all their efforts to help so many people by creating these beautiful handmade cards.
The Ft. Meyer Emergency Operations Center, which is a very vibrant and actively responsive station in Florida, received cards specifically for their efforts related to Hurricane Ian. Many cards were also mailed to the First Responders Children’s Foundation, which supports first responders, their children, and their families.
A special thank you to Ms. Holliday for connecting with the United Way, which helped the Tacy Foundation find the Emergency Operation Center in the center of the deeply impacted Florida communities of Lee County at Ft. Myer and Collier County. Additionally, thank you to our Cards Team: Mario Lara, Matthew Kim and Eric Zou! We look forward to our next holiday cards project in December.
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Note from Mrs. Holliday to the Cards Team, November 22, 2022
Your efforts are truly stellar! All cards’ messages and graphics will make a difference in those lives who dropped everything to run into harm’s way and rescue those who could not rescue themselves. As you say in your messages, they are true heroes.
Today, I am sending out all several hundred (300+) cards that have come in from volunteers in Maryland and Virginia. The Ft. Meyer EOC is a very vibrant, actively responsive station that will receive your and everyone’s beautiful thank you cards….
Thank you for your leadership and artistry!
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Luke D'Souza
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Samuel and Shaun Wang
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Patriotic Medley
By Jenny Kim
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Max Kim played at Brightview Great Falls for Tacy on November 19. One of his pieces was a patriotic medley. The audience responded enthusiastically, swaying to the music and singing along softly. A few veterans and veterans’ wives were in the audience. We were touched to not only represent the Tacy Foundation but also to have the opportunity to serve our veterans in honor of Veterans Day.
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Rewarding Experiences
By Caroline Su
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I’m Caroline Su, an 8th grader at Longfellow MS in McLean. Since joining the Tacy Foundation in the spring of 2022, I have performed at several senior facilities. I also have had the honor of performing at the NIH Youth Concert. All events have been well organized by the very dedicated and capable Chief Interns. I plan to keep exploring the Foundation’s various activities and look forward to being a Chief Intern myself one day.
My experiences in sharing music with the public has deepened both my motivation and skills and has had a positive impact on my music career. Recently I won the very competitive Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) state competition and will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia as a finalist in the Southern Division Junior Piano Competition. Over the summer, I won the 2022 Knabe International Competition in the junior division. I thank my wonderful teacher, Ms. Lisa Emenheiser Sarratt, for my achievements as well as her support for my participation with the Tacy Foundation.
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Chess at Asbury Methodist Village
By Joseph Mathew
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