from our creative community
Voices’ programs offer space for liberation and healing, fostering self-expression, esteem, and connection among Members. Weekly workshops like “Soul Space” prioritize mental health with guided reflection, gentle movement, meditation, and tools for positive self-talk. Here are some reflections from this month’s Soul Space session on inner peace:
“My grandma always said: you’ve seen the glory, now let me tell you the story.”
— Cindy
“My peace means a lot to me, and I do a lot to keep it. I release: I sing, and I sing, and I sing!”
— Destiny
Pictured above, Choir Member, Earth, at rehearsal. Photo by Michele Zousmer.
Longtime friend of Voices, award-winning humanitarian photographer Michele Zousmer, recently profiled our Choir Member, Earth. View Michele’s striking photos, and read Earth’s story, in this piece for “1 in 6 by 2023”: a global project inviting photographers across the globe to capture the daily lives of 72-year-olds in their community.
Read her story:
new partners, more impact
This month, the Hervey Family Foundation generously awarded Voices $20,000 to advance our efforts in improving housing access for San Diegans experiencing homelessness. With this gift, we can support new Members in transitioning from outdoor living to more stable housing. Our Member Services Team works closely with local housing agencies to facilitate temporary shelter, interim housing, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing services, and residential treatment. For Members undergoing the housing approval process, Voices provides gap services and shelter to help unhoused neighbors move indoors. This can include covering the costs of short-term hotel stays, or deposits for first month’s rent.
Pictured above, Volunteers Maureen and Julia serve the choir lunch from Bekkers Catering.
This March, we hosted two listening sessions with our volunteers—dedicated partners in fostering a warm, welcoming environment for all. Some volunteers have been with us over five years! They reflected on experiencing the Choir up close:
“I see the impact on the lives of people here. You can actually see the choir members reclaim their raison d’être (their reason for being).”
“Over the years, I see the choir members bloom.”
“The Choir is the launching pad for those impacted by homelessness to regain their best selves. Witnessing that makes me want to be my best self.”
“I love seeing how the choir members help each other.”
Thank you, Voices’ Volunteers for your service to this special community! If you would like to explore volunteer opportunities, contact Kathie Landis: klandis@voicesofourcity.org
Congratulations to Voices’ Co-Founder, CEO and Creative Director, Steph Johnson, awarded "Arts Angel" by the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus.
“This year’s recipient embodies the very essence of what it means to be an Arts Angel: a guardian of the arts, whose unwavering commitment to artistic excellence and social impact has made a profound difference in the lives of others. Steph Johnson is a shining example of someone who uses the power of music to inspire, uplift, and empower those facing homelessness and adversity.”
— Stephanie Weaver Yankee, Executive Director of the LJS&C
Thank you to La Jolla Symphony & Chorus for this recognition of Steph’s leadership and impact.