About Us
Since becoming a non-profit in 2003, Harmony, Hope & Healing has served over 10,000 individuals. Our programs fulfill a critical role in the recovery and healing of the individuals and families we serve. Harmony, Hope & Healing supports women, men and children as they heal from traumas associated with homelessness, incarceration, addiction, and isolation. The organization provides on-site music classes and workshops in shelters, residential programs, drug treatment centers, community centers and Cook County Jail. The classes and workshops teach appropriate ways to relieve stress, express emotions and develop positive relationships.
Click here for more information about our programming and curriculum.
Our History
Harmony, Hope & Healing, now entering its 15th year as a nonprofit organization, originated from the individual volunteer work of founder and Executive Director, Margaret Nykaza, D. Min. In 2000, while pursuing her Master’s Degree at Loyola University, a social ethics professor challenged Marge to examine access to the arts as a social justice issue. She developed a program for women in recovery and their children at St. Martin de Porres House of Hope, a shelter located on the south side of Chicago. Not only did the program expose the women and their families to a variety of new musical learning experiences; program staff noted the residents were better equipped to manage their stress and anger; less depressed and exhibited increased self-esteem. With the success of this initial program, Marge expanded her services and Harmony, Hope & Healing was granted status as a 501(C)3 organization in 2003. Since that time, Harmony, Hope & Healing has impacted the lives of thousands of adults and children providing music classes at 17 sites, including shelters, residential programs, community outreach centers and Cook County Jail.
A Letter From The Founder
Dear Friends,
Music has the ability to grasp our hearts, capture our spirits and transform our lives. We see it every day
at Harmony, Hope & Healing. We see it in the smiles, feel it in the tears and hear it in the voices of those
we serve. For vulnerable individuals, Harmony, Hope & Healing is an important tool to aide them as they
discover and recover their voice and transform their lives.
We know that our work helps change the lives of those suffering from homelessness, imprisonment,
fear, depression, self-doubt, and other life challenges. We hear that in the music of the women at Cook
County Jail. We hear that transformation in the story of Jacquelynn S., who says “to sing gives you a
platform to be heard.” We hear that in the songs of Charles D. who suffered from isolation and Martha
M. who suffers from homelessness. All of us involved in Harmony, Hope & Healing know that by bringing
music to the most vulnerable adults, teens and children in our community, we are creating a safe
environment and giving them tools to aid their healing and rebuild their lives.
Thank you so much for your support and interest in Harmony, Hope & Hope. We hope you enjoy
perusing through our new website and learning more about our organization. Together, we are making
the world a better place, one person and one song at a time!
With gratitude,
Marge Nykaza, Founder and Executive Director