HeARTS GIVING HOPE: Our Programs

Patrick McDonough Music Therapy Program



At HeARTS Giving Hope, we believe in the healing powers of music. That’s why, in honor of Patrick McDonough, who courageously battled against cancer, we have created the Patrick McDonough Music Therapy Program. Through his memory, we would like to touch the lives of other children suffering from cancer, disease and other serious illnesses, who may benefit from the healing powers of music.

Music, researchers around the world are discovering, can help healing in a variety of ways. Cancer patients who listen to music and practice improvising on instruments, for example, see their levels of stress hormones drop and their immune systems get stronger. Says Northridge music therapist Ron Borczon: “Traditional healers have used songs and drumming for centuries. We’re simply rediscovering what they always knew – that music, through its profound effect on mind and body, can be a potent way to help people get well.”

100% of the money donated to the Patrick McDonough Music Therapy Scholarship Fund goes toward providing music therapy for children battling with cancer, disease and other serious illnesses.



HeARTS & Crafts Faires



HeARTS Giving Hope sponsors various HeARTS & Crafts Faires as part of its Outreach Program to inner city neighbors in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Through the support of donors and volunteers, we provide arts and crafts supplies to the children, and work with them one on one, and in groups, to create a special keepsake. Our Faires incorporate drumming circles, jugglers, clowns, and the finest in entertainment to inspire the kids to be creative.


Interactive Music and Drumming Circle Programs
HeARTS is proud to offer interactive music and drumming circle programs to children in foster care facilities, hospitals and wellness centers, and inner-city neighborhoods. We have worked with Heart Rhythms to create these programs, designed to bring forth the creativity in every child who participates.

Community HeART-Reach

Holiday seasons can be lonely times for some. It can also be a wonderful opportunity to enrich lives by connecting with those who may be apart from loved ones. During holiday seasons, we work with kids from children's homes and foster care facilities making Valentine's Day cards, jack-o-lanterns, etc. to distribute to children's hospitals and retirement facilities, giving the children we work with a strong sense of contribution to their community.

The Art Mural Project

HeARTS Giving Hope is developing its newest program, the Art Mural Project, to be initiated at various children's homes through Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Professional artists will work with at-risk youth to create permanent murals around the facilities.

In addition, the children will have the opportunity to work one on one with artists to create individual art pieces that can be taken back into the art community and sold at silent auction fundraisers, with the proceeds going back into the foundation to support further art and music programs. This will bring pride to the children in knowing that people have bid on their art, and that their creativity will help the lives of other children in need.