The Steven Spring Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 2005 to aid the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Specifically, by supplying donated instruments and free musical instruction, The SSF provided practical assistance to the musicians and music students of New Orleans as they struggled to recover from the disaster. 

    Since its beginning in September 2005, the SSF has realized the necessity of adapting to the ever-changing needs of the musical community in post-Katrina New Orleans. Initial efforts focused on collecting and distributing donated instruments to replace those lost in the storm. Through its “Share the Joy of Music!” program, The SSF has provided hundreds of donated instruments to working professionals, amateur musicians, and music students alike. Mario Triggs, the Douglass High School student on the right in the picture, is now a music major at Langston University as the first person in his family to go to college, and he intends to be a band director. We know he'll be a great one, and will make a truly valuable contribution to whatever community is fortunate enough to have him.

    As the recovery effort progressed, The SSF expanded its focus from helping music students and musicians at the individual level to developing strong working relationships with local school systems as well. On a regional level, we joined with The Feel Good Tour and the Million Closets Project to provide donated instruments to hurricane-impacted schools in Gulf Coast communities outside the greater New Orleans area. 

    When the bottom dropped out of the national economy and grant monies became scarce, The SSF responded by changing to a more self-sustaining economic model based on fees-for-services. Turning to accepting donations of unwanted pianos, using them to teach piano tuning and repair skills, then re-selling them at low cost, The SSF generated value at every step in the process of saving many of these instruments from going to the landfill, bringing them back to productivity, and keeping them creating beauty, comfort and peace for people who didn't think that they could afford a piano. We also received donations of working, high-quality but unneeded pianos that we then passed on to lucky new owners at low cost to help them in their economic recoveries. This continued until 2010, when we reluctantly left New Orleans to move back to Oregon, but the work is being carried on by our former apprentices under their own auspices.

    We are entering into yet another new phase now, focusing on using music and drama to help people through the grieving process. It feels deep and right to move into this arena, and we hope that we can help provide solace, comfort, and hope to those in emotional and spiritual crisis and need no matter where they are.