A local union has stepped up to help Harmony For Youth in its transition out of Sarnia's Bayside Mall.
The music-based youth organization is being forced to leave the property with Seasons Retirement Communities' planned major renovation of the downtown mall.
Unifor Local 914 is donating storage space so Harmony doesn't have to sell off as many of its instruments.
Harmony Board President Paul Kearney is grateful and said it's a step toward allowing them to continue with their services.
"To learn an instrument is something that really helps to build a youth's self-worth and self-esteem," he said. "We've seen it for years now, really work well. Another way to build self-worth is to volunteer. When you see how much you can do for someone else and how good it makes you feel to volunteer, it just really helps everybody in the community."
Kearney said programming has come to a halt during the pandemic and they're still looking for a permanent space to hold gatherings in the future.
Harmony, which has been around for some 25 years and offers free music lessons for youth, hopes to eventually reopen when pandemic restrictions allow.
Over the weekend, Harmony was selling off select musical instruments, sound equipment and other items.
