A Gift of Music

NuPath, a Woburn-based agency that serves individuals with disabilities, is one of SCI's newest AmeriCorps host site partners.  These days, funders and others are often most interested in our numbers, how we are providing tangible benefits in this time of great economic need.  Yet this story, relayed by Jennifer Burns, an SCI AmeriCorps member placed at NuPath, reminds us of how a seemingly small action can bring great joy to someone.  Here's Jennifer's telling of how she was able to help a musician in-the-making:

"One of NuPath’s clients, a young man with autism, is a very talented musician. He loves to play the trumpet and for years his staff has been trying to find him an affordable trumpet that he could call his own. However, due to financial limitations, no one has been able to find him a trumpet that his family could afford to buy for him. After I heard of this, I also started searching for a trumpet that this young man could play. On craigslist I came across an ad for a person selling his trumpet. I decided it would be worth a try to e-mail him and see if he would donate his trumpet to a worthy cause. Sure enough, a few days later he responded and said that he would indeed donate his trumpet. Because of this man’s generosity, another person will be able to play the instrument that he so loves. This is a great example of social capital in action."