Our Mission & History

Our Mission

Inspirit is dedicated to uplifting the human spirit by providing live, quality performances to isolated people who reside in restricted environments, such as healthcare facilities, and are otherwise isolated from society. We are very excited about the potential of this project to help this segment of people in our community who are often overlooked.

Our performances enrich the soul and promote wellness through the healing power of the performing arts.  In carrying out our mission, Inspirit seeks to create a social awareness of people who are isolated from the world at large.
Click here to download the Inspirit Brochure

 

Our History

Inspirit was founded by Ginny Meredith, Executive Director, in 2001 after she learned of Heart and Soul during a ski vacation to Utah, where she re-connected with an old friend of hers, Janna Lauer, who founded Heart and Soul in Salt Lake City.  Having recently experienced a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment at age 41, Ginny, a musician herself, realized the healing potential of music through her own experience living with cancer.  As a result of this experience, Ginny was moved and motivated to bring this healing power to others.

Inspirit believes in the healing power of music, and utilizes local performers of a variety of styles of music to spread the joy and healing power of music to those less fortunate.   Inspirit is a community-based, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to bring music and the performing arts to nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, children’s shelters, mental health centers,  youth detention facilities and other facilities that serve people in need.  After learning of similar organizations in existence throughout the United States, a needs-assessment was conducted in July 2000 with over 50 institutions in Palm Beach County.  The response was overwhelming with more than 30 institutions responding immediately.  The conclusion was that the need for this type of service is overwhelmingly present in our community.  As a result of this survey, Inspirit was established to meet this need and a 501 (c ) (3) status was approved with the IRS in January, 2001. Start-up funding of $10,000 was received from The Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties in June 2001, with services being initiated shortly thereafter.  We have since received additional funding from Palm Beach County Cultural Council, Florida Cultural Arts Council, National Endowment of the Arts, Publix Super Market Charities, Washington Mutual Bank, Bank Atlantic Foundation, The Allegheny Franciscan Foundation, The Lost Tree Foundation, Quantum Foundation, The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Royal Poinciana Chapel, and The Lattner Foundation.  Local corporate sponsors have included Wittmann Building Corp. and E.T.C.  Inspirit has tapped into a huge need in our community that has not ever been formally addressed or met by any other type of organization.

Inspirit has greatly impacted many people from a large variety of ages, cultures, ethnicities and economic backgrounds.  We utilize performers from a variety of backgrounds as well.  The appreciation we have received from the facilities, family members and friends of the people we serve, the people themselves, the facility staff, and the community at large has been extremely overwhelming.

Each performance serves a unique audience by providing live music that appeals to that particular audience.  In June, 2009, Inspirit brought Nicole Yarling, a nationally renowned and well established jazz violinist and vocalist who teaches at Florida Memorial College and University of Miami Frost School of Music, to the Boys and Girls Detention Center on 45th Street.  Nicole brought  five of her most talented students with her to perform for the incarcerated youth.  The results were amazing, with everyone in the room being transformed in some way that afternoon.  Some of the kids even created and performed their own pieces of spoken word and music. At least a couple of young lives were changed that day.  Even the Warden and the staff were blown away.  This is just one example of the power of an Inspirit performance, and there are hundreds of similar stories to tell!

Inspirit is based on similar organizations throughout the country, including Bread and Roses,  in San Francisco, and Heart and Soul in Salt Lake City.  There are others as well popping up, including Tidewater Arts Council in Virginia and Musicians on Call in New York City.  Palm Beach County can be proud to have an organization such as Inspirit be a part of its arts culture.

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