Tidewater Arts Outreach

The Instruments to Heal are in Our Hands.

Ann Vernon facilitates a poetry workshop at Broad Creek Community Center

He was playing the last song when they got up to dance. So touched by the tentative steps of the elderly couple, clearly still in love after who knows how many years, he continued playing John Lennon’s “Imagine” for his nursing home audience well past the final verse.

“By the end of song, I was so emotional I could hardly play,” says musician B.J. Leiderman. A pianist and composer known for writing many of the theme songs for National Public Radio programs, Leiderman has volunteered for five years with Tidewater Arts Outreach by performing at Hampton Roads nursing homes.

TAO Mission

The mission of Tidewater Arts Outreach is to uplift the human spirit by bringing live, quality music and arts experiences to people in Hampton Roads who are in homes, hospitals, shelters, facilities and dependent care programs or otherwise are isolated from society.

Music and arts programs can be beneficial in many ways:

They enrich the soul, stimulate the mind and promote wellness through the healing power of music and the arts
They provide opportunities for self-expression and self-realization through participation in music and arts activities
They create a sense of community and a source of inspiration for our artists by providing them with opportunities to share their talents
They provide opportunities for other volunteers to contribute a variety of skills and resources that support our humanitarian services and increase the impact of donor contributions.

In carrying out this mission, we seek to create a social awareness in the Hampton Roads communities of people who are isolated from society.

To see a list of the homes, hospitals, shelters, facilities and programs we serve, click here.

Guidestar is a free, online service for users who want to verify a nonprofit's legitimacy, learn whether a contribution will be tax deductible, view a nonprofit's recent Forms 990, or find out more about its mission, programs, and finances. Thanks to the generosity of a number of foundations, access to GuideStar's basic service is available for free users.

To visit guidestar, go to www.guidestar.org.

Tidewater Arts Outreach is a write-in agency for the United Way annual workplace campaign and the Combined Federal Campaign in Hampton Roads (Southside and Peninsula). Simply write us in on the “designation” line, and you can contribute any portion of your workplace pledge to go toward our work with seniors and others who have special needs. Your support is needed and appreciated. Thank you!