We are thrilled to announce that Rick’s Heart Foundation’s Heart For Music program has been awarded a generous grant from the Jack & Helen Stiglish Fund of the Coquitlam Foundation. This grant marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to bring joy, comfort, and connection through music to seniors in need.
The Coquitlam Foundation and the Jack & Helen Stiglish Fund
The Heart For Music program was fortunate to receive a grant of $3,000 from the Jack & Helen Stiglish Fund this year. Established by Diane Stiglish in honour of her parents, the Jack & Helen Stiglish Fund aims to provide funding both to women pursuing studies leading to work in the geriatric field and to organizations tackling senior’s issues in Coquitlam, where Diane lived for over four decades.
Healing Through Harmony
The Heart For Music program equips care homes with music-playing equipment, music streaming plans, and ongoing support to integrate music therapy into daily care routines. Care staff and family members then curate personalized playlists to provide familiar music to residents, which has proven therapeutic benefits, including significantly reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while stimulating memories and encouraging emotional expression. Additionally, the program organizes events throughout the year to provide live music performances for residents and their families.
The Grant’s Impact
Music holds a unique power to uplift spirits and foster connections, especially among seniors grappling with loneliness and dementia. This grant from the Jack & Helen Stiglish Fund will enable the Heart For Music program to expand its reach in Coquitlam care homes. The program is already established in two locations in Coquitlam, and with this grant our goal is to support the expansion of those programs, as well as work to bring the program to 1-2 new care homes in Coquitlam. This support is not just about providing music; it’s about enhancing quality of life, fostering connections, and nurturing well-being in our senior communities.
The ability of music to enrich the lives of seniors is miraculous, and so we would like to extend our deep thanks and gratitude to the generosity and dedication of the Jack & Helen Stiglish Fund and the Coquitlam Foundation, through which we are able to continue to celebrate and share the transformative power of music.
