Harmony Project

Did you know Harmony is about much more than what happens on stage?

Every week, more than 1,200 people take part in programs that strengthen lives and build community—from students finding their voices and adults with disabilities expressing their creativity to incarcerated individuals discovering purpose and possibility.

Across classrooms, correctional institutions, Harmony Center, and neighborhoods throughout Columbus, thousands of people are learning, serving, creating, and connecting.

The concert may be where you first experience Harmony. But the impact happens every day.

Our hearts are with our beloved friend, Michael Corey, and the entire Corey family as they grieve an unimaginable loss.

In his role as the Executive Director of the Human Service Chamber, Michael often reminds us that we must all care for one another. Now, his words are our call to action. We must—and we will—surround Michael, his family, the Human Service Chamber team, and the Board of Directors with care and support.

No one is capable of navigating grief of this magnitude on their own. Take care of each other. And together, let's be there for the Corey family as they have been there for all of us.

Community isn't something you find. It's something you build.

It grows when neighbors volunteer side by side. When a student finds their voice through the arts. When someone returning home is welcomed with dignity. When a family walks into the ENCORE Free Store & Community Closet and is met with kindness.

At Harmony, music, arts education, and service are simply the tools. The goal has always been something bigger: bringing people together, breaking down barriers, and creating a community where everyone has a place to belong.

That's what we believe. And it's what we work toward every day.

The ENCORE Free Store & Community Closet serves people from across Central Ohio.

Since opening, shoppers have visited ENCORE from 55 different zip codes, each with their own story, circumstances, and reasons for walking through our doors.

Some are starting over. Some are rebuilding after a difficult season. Others simply need a little extra support.

No matter what brings someone to ENCORE, our hope is that they leave with more than the items they came for. We hope they leave knowing their community cares about them.

At Harmony Project, we know that meaningful change happens when organizations come together with a shared purpose.

That's why we're grateful for partners like Pursuit. Their support has made an impact across multiple areas of our work, from providing suits for men participating in our Prison Arts Program to partnering with the ENCORE Free Store & Community Closet to help ensure people have access to clothing and other essentials.

Nate DeMars, Owner of Pursuit, said the following about the partnership:

“In our 15 years in business, there isn't a more powerful moment for us than when a choir member walks out in one of our suits after decades of incarceration, with his choir members sending him off in song! Now, building upon that program through our partnership to support Encore allows us all to exponentially impact more deserving people in need.”

Whether someone is preparing to step onto a stage or taking the next step in their personal journey, feeling confident and cared for matters. Partnerships like this help us create spaces where every person is treated with dignity and given the opportunity to move forward with confidence.

Thank you, Pursuit, for helping us strengthen our community and for believing in the power of partnership.

The ENCORE Free Store & Community Closet exists because of a community that believes everyone deserves access to essential items in a welcoming, dignified environment.

That mission is strengthened by partners like Wardrobe Therapy. Their support helps ensure ENCORE continues to be more than a place to pick up clothing or household goods. It's a place where people are welcomed with kindness, treated with respect, and reminded that their community cares about them.

Elizabeth, Founder of Wardrobe Therapy, had the following to say regarding the partnership:

"The power of dress is so important for ALL! We truly believe that when you look good, you feel good. And feeling good in what you wear is KEY! Donating a few beloved pieces from someone's wardrobe that no longer serves them, but can serve others is what ENCORE is all about!"

Partnerships like this allow us to reach more people and expand the impact of ENCORE every day. We're grateful to work alongside Wardrobe Therapy as we continue building a stronger, more connected community.

No two days at Franklin County Harmony Center look exactly the same, and that's one of the things we love most about this work.

On any given day, you might hear music drifting from a rehearsal room while volunteers organize donations for ENCORE: Free Store down the hall. A community partner could be meeting in one space while staff members prepare for an upcoming program in another. Throughout the building, people with different backgrounds, experiences, and talents are working toward the same goal: creating a stronger, more connected community.

Harmony has never been defined by a single program or performance. It's defined by the people who walk through our doors and the community we continue to build together.

One of the people you'll often find at the Harmony Center is Brian Gardner from Robin Recovery.

Each week, Brian brings clients to the ENCORE Free Store & Community Closet, where they can shop for clothing and household essentials in an environment designed to feel welcoming and dignified.

"It's a good experience for my clients because it feels like a boutique. A real shopping experience," Brian says. "The amazing volunteers treat my clients with dignity and make them feel special."

Partnerships like the one between Harmony Project and Robin Recovery remind us that community is built through consistency and trust. By working together, we're able to reach more people, remove barriers to essential resources, and create spaces where everyone feels valued.

Thank you, Brian, for being part of the Harmony community and for helping connect so many people to ENCORE.

Every item at the ENCORE Free Store & Community Closet has a story.

A donated coat becomes someone's interview outfit. A set of dishes helps a family settle into a new home. A bookshelf filled with children's books becomes part of a bedtime routine.

Behind every donation is someone choosing to give. Behind every visit is someone receiving a little extra support when they need it most.

Since opening, ENCORE has welcomed more than 1,300 shoppers, received donations from 89 zip codes, and distributed more than 11 tons of donated goods.

That's what community looks like.

For years, Harmony Project brought people together in schools, prisons, concert halls, community centers, and neighborhoods across Central Ohio.

Now, there is a place where it all comes together. Franklin County Harmony Center.

It is home to Harmony Project, the Columbus Pride Bands, the Columbus Cultural Orchestra, and dozens of partners, artists, volunteers, and community members working to strengthen Northland and Central Ohio.

Every week, more than 1,200 people participate in Harmony programs that connect people through music, art, service, and community. Since November 2025, more than 10 tons of clothing and household goods have been donated through Encore Free Store and our monthly Community Closet, benefiting hundreds of families every month.

More than one organization. More than one program. More than one story.

That’s Harmony Center.
Franklin County Board of Commissioners