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  • From: Steve Wright <swright AT townofchapelhill.org>
  • To: "chpac-staff AT lists.ibiblio.org" <chpac-staff AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Chpac-staff] FW: Musical Instruments for Children
  • Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:06:38 -0500

Dear CHPAC,

 

Ms. Soforenko below is interested in starting a "Musical Instruments for Children" organization in Chapel Hill that would collect used instruments and redistribute them to students through the school system.  She is looking for board members.  If you are interested or know of anyone who might be interested, please pass on Ms. Soforenko's information below.

 

Thank you,

 

Steve

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Marjorie Soforenko [mailto:soforenko AT gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 7:50 PM
To: Steve Wright
Subject: Musical Instruments for Children

 

Hi Steve -

 

I am an attorney licensed in Massachusetts since 1989 and I plan to take the North Carolina Bar in summer, 2013.  I am licensed as a social worker in Massachusetts and Colorado and I have a Massachusetts and North Carolina guidance counselor license.  I am currently substitute teaching for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Durham County Public Schools and the Orange County Public Schools.

 

While an attorney in Massachusetts, in the year 2000, I started an organization, a 501(c) (3) called "Musical Instruments for Children."

I got together a Board of Directors and we collected used musical instruments from citizens in the community - for example, sometimes parents have their children take up a musical instrument in elementary or high school.  The child does not continue playing it after a while and it just lies around the house collecting dust, but it is in good shape.  This is the kind of instrument that was donated to "Musical Instruments for Children".

Because the agency was a 501(c)(3) the donators could take a tax deduction for the donation.  Unless the donator had had the instrument appraised we generally gave them a $50.00 receipt.

 

As the Director of the organization I had articles written for local newspapers about the organization that told citizens about the program and encouraged them to donate an instrument or money to repair the instruments.  We even got a $100.00 donation from a women's organization to repair an instrument and I had a flute repaired with it.  I also had a website created for a discounted price of $500.00 by one of the members of the Board of Directors that was a graphic artist.  Because the organization was advertised on the web we had two instruments donated - clarinets, from citizens of Texas.  The clarinets were mailed to me from Texas.

In the three years that the organization existed we coillected approximately 60 used musical instruments that included flutes, clarinets, a trombone, a harpsicord, a saxaphone, violins, accordians, trumpets and other instruments.  We gave the instruments away to three school systems in Massachusetts - Framingham, Agawam and Springfield.

The Board also had brochures made describing the organization and encouraging citizens to donate.  The Board member who was the graphic artist also created the brochure and I had them printed.  Brochures were placed at libraries and other public places.  I kept a record of each person who donated an instrument and the instrument they donated, also how much we gave the citizen for a tax deduction.  These records needed to be kept in case we applied for grants.  I also got free space from a storage business for the instruments to be placed when they were collected.  As the Director it was my name and telephone number that was in the newspaper articles, on the website and in the brochure for citizens to call if they wanted to donate an instrument or money to repair the instruments.

 

I would like to start this organization in North Carolina - to supply used musical instruments to school systems for use by indigent children that cannot afford to buy an instrument but would like to play one in their school's band or/and orchestra.  This will encourage music and the arts in the schools which is especially necessary in this day and age when there are budget cuts to the arts in order to save the government mioney.  Music also gives students all kind of learning tools and helps children learn to act as  a team.

 

I am hoping that one or two members of the Arts Council in Chapel Hill will be interested in being on the Board of this organization.  I am currently obtaining the articles of incorporation froim the Secretary of State's office in Massachusetts to get the organization incorporated in North Carolina.  I need North Carolina Board members to form the 501 (c)(3) here and also to apply for grants. I would like to apply for grants to get the instruments repaired, purchase space to store the musical instruments in case it is not donated, to create a website and brochures and for a small office for the staff of the organization.  Grants may also be needed for other purposes if the item that us beiing looked for cannot be donated.  I plan to volunteer my time at least in the first year that the organization is getting started to get it off the ground.  In the second or third year of the organization's existence, if I am giving alot of my time, I will probably apply for a half time salary through a grant.  The success of the organization in Massachusetts shows that it can be a success in North Carolina.

 

Please feel free to ask me any questions that you may have.  My telephone number is 919-923-1794.  My e-mail address is Soforenko AT gmail.com.

 

Thank you.

 

Marjorie S. Soforenko, Esq.



  • [Chpac-staff] FW: Musical Instruments for Children, Steve Wright, 02/28/2012

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