Past Events 2025
2025 Kitchen Gathering at Second Story
12/30/2025
On December 30, 2025, several Hopeful Minds Outreach leaders (Caroline Su, Lillian Su, Anna Wang and Jenny Huang) gathered in the kitchen to close the year with joy and intention by preparing homemade and nutritious meals for the young mothers supported by Second Story, a youth shelter in Northern Virginia that has served thousands of teens in crisis over the past 50 years.
The early morning began with thoughtful planning and ingredient preparation: fresh vegetables washed and chopped, proteins seasoned, and balanced recipes designed to provide both nourishment and comfort. The energy in the room reflected shared purpose. Healthy meals may seem simple, but for young mothers who juggle between new parenthood and busy jobs, they represent stability, dignity, and care.
As we closed out 2025, we were grateful for the opportunity to turn passion, teamwork, and simple ingredients into tangible support to those in need. Small acts, when done together, can carry a lasting impact.
Christmas Music at The Providence Fairfax
12/27/2025
On December 27, 2025, Hopeful Minds Outreach closed out our music performance season with a special Christmas performance at Providence Fairfax from 2-3 PM. The afternoon was filled with warmth, love, and the shared joy that only live music can bring.
The program featured a blend of classical masterworks and beloved holiday favorites. Felix Xu opened with several Christmas carols, inviting residents and staff into the spirit of the season. Caroline Su performed Mozart’s Concerto No. 15 in B-flat Major, bringing elegance and brightness to the room, and later returned with Chopin’s Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, a powerful Romantic work that showcased depth and emotional intensity.
The program also highlighted collaboration and youthful energy. Caroline Su, Lillian Su, and Anna Wang performed a festive trio set including All I Want for Christmas Is You, Underneath the Tree, and Last Christmas, filling the space with upbeat holiday cheer. Eric Li added contrast with Beethoven’s Scherzo and Esther Kahn’s The Watermill, offering both classical precision and lyrical storytelling.
One of the most meaningful moments of the afternoon came at the end of the program. Two Providence seniors joined the Hopeful Minds Outreach musicians at the piano to play jazz selections together. The transition from prepared repertoire to spontaneous collaboration transformed the performance into something even more powerful: not just a concert, but a shared musical exchange. Generations met at the keyboard, and the room shifted from audience and performers to a unified community.
Music in senior communities does more than entertain. It sparks memory, invites participation, and creates social connection. Familiar melodies can transport listeners across decades, while live performance fosters presence and engagement in the moment.
As a youth-led organization, our team received something equally meaningful in return: wisdom, stories, and the joy of making music alongside residents who continue to carry rich musical lives of their own.
As 2025 came to a close, we were grateful for the opportunity to share not just holiday music, but intergenerational connection. In the final jazz notes played together at the piano, the spirit of the season felt fully realized: celebration, community, and hope carried forward into the new year.
See some video clips of our performance here.
2025 Christmas Gift Wrapping at Second Story
12/15/2025
The holiday is around the corner! This Friday evening, we were thrilled to join Second Story for their Holiday Gift Wrapping Event by contributing over 20 art supplies and holiday gifts for the children and families whom Second Story serves. We were able to provide amateur watercolor kits, sketchbooks, and graphite pencils as gifts, encouraging art and self-expression for this holiday season! Lillian Su and Caroline Su had a wonderful time representing our team and working alongside fellow volunteers. We all shared one purpose: spreading care, love, and joy this holiday season.
We were also grateful for the opportunity to meet members of Second Story’s leadership team, including Anne Hill, Alex Villegas, and Katie Bogard, and to learn more about the incredible work they do to support youth and families year-round. We were also delighted to see Michelle Kuang and Claire Huang from PenFed Credit Union, who generously arrived with a huge haul of food, toys, and school supplies.
It was a joyful, meaningful evening of collaboration and community spirit. We wish all Second Story families a very happy holiday season and a hopeful new year!
PenFed Christmas Spirit Performance
12/05/2025
This past weekend (12/5), Caroline Su and Felix Xu of Hopeful Minds Outreach (HMO) had the special honor of accompanying Christmas carols at PenFed Credit Union’s Annual Event. The room quickly filled with warmth, laughter, gratitude, and holiday spirit.
As young musicians, we were deeply moved by the meaning behind this performance. Watching music light up the room reminded us that music is more than just sound. It is a shared language of appreciation, healing, and human connection that reaches people of all backgrounds and generations.
Many of PenFed’s leaders, including CEO James Schenck and Chairman of the Board Ed Cody, are veterans, making this experience especially meaningful to our mission. HMO has a long history of serving veterans and their families through music in hospitals, community spaces, and outreach programs. Being able to honor service through music, alongside an organization rooted in servicing military families, was both powerful and humbling.
Thank you to PenFed Credit Union for inviting HMO and including us in your holiday celebration. Moments like this reaffirm why we believe so strongly in the uplifting and unifying power of music, especially during the holiday season.
Power of Music Healing Concert
11/23/2025
Our inaugural Power of Music Healing Concert on Sunday, November 16, was a huge success, bringing energy, joy and hope to all in attendance. This concert hosted by Hopeful Minds Outreach was joined by a room of over 130 educators, students, local families and professionals at the beautiful Levine Music Lang Recital Hall in Washington, DC. Featuring 6 internationally-recognized young musicians (Caroline Su, Felix Xu, William Wu, Everlina Kleczek, Yuzhe (Julian) Chen and Aiden Che), this 90-min concert reflects Hopeful Minds Outreach’s mission to promote mental well-being and raise music therapy funds for military and low-income families. A heart-felt thank-you goes to our generous sponsors - PenFed Credit Union, Levine School of Music, Smart Life Family Foundation, Thrivewell Family Foundation, CADSEA, Shen Coaching and Consulting - for making this concert possible. We sincerely appreciated the inspiring and insightful remarks from our 4 community partners: Celia Glove from NeuroSound Music Therapy, Aparna Chanda from Second Story, Chaplain Jules from Volunteer of America Chesapeake & Carolinas (VOACC) and Aimee Halbruner from Levine School of Music. They inspired us about their mission to help youth in crisis and how music plays a critical role in their programs.
We raised over $7,500 from this concert, well exceeding our $5K target! With these funds, we are empowered to make music performances accessible to more local communities. More importantly, the funds raised enable us to provide a life-changing music experience for those in need. We are actively working with several partners (Second Story, NeuroSound Music Therapy, VOACC, Levine Music Therapy and Children National Hospital Music Therapy) to collaborate on youth programs and activities! More to come, stay tuned!
Second Story Beacon of Hope Event
10/22/2025
On October 22, Hopeful Minds Outreach team had the privilege of joining Second Story Beacon of Hope Breakfast at Westwood Country Club, a beautiful event filled with nearly 300 people united by one mission: helping local youth in crisis and families rewrite their stories. Heart-felt thanks to Alex Villegas (Volunteer and Outreach Manager), Jade Leedham (Second Story CEO), Kevin Davis (Second Story Board President), Aparna Chanda (Second Story Board Treasurer) and the entire Second Story team for hosting this amazing event!
Hearing Shaylah share how she rebuilt her life through the Young Mothers Program and Griffin’s journey from mental health struggles to college success moved everyone in the room. It was truly inspiring to hear how Second Story helped them and others in need rebuild their courage, resilience, and life!
We are inspired by Second Story’s unwavering commitment to change lives, and we’re honored to contribute to Beacon of Hope fundraising effort and will continue supporting their mission with passion and purpose!
In the picture from left to right: Jade Leedham, Caroline Su, Jason Pan, Felix Xu, Jenny Huang, Lillian Su, Kevin Davis and Yingfeng Xu.
The Providence Fairfax Performance
10/19/2025
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Caroline, William, and Felix visited Providence Fairfax for another afternoon of rejuvenating music. On October 19, the three members delivered an hour-long performance of exciting classical music. Felix opened with Chopin’s spectacular and ingenious Polonaise-Fantasie in A-flat Major. Caroline followed with renditions of Beethoven’s E-flat Major sonata, Chopin’s fourth scherzo, and Stravinsky’s Petrushka Suite for the piano. William finished with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in A minor and Chopin’s beautiful Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise.
As always, the audience was warm and jovial, clapping loudly after each performance. Hopeful Minds Outreach is endlessly grateful for the support and partnership of Providence Fairfax. We will be back next month!
The Providence Fairfax Performance
09/27/2025
HMO members Caroline, William, Felix, and Ryan returned to Providence Fairfax on September 27 for yet another afternoon of lively entertainment. A full room with over 50 seniors attended the event and told the team that they were truly captivated by the performance. HMO was grateful to serve Providence once again, and they will be back next month.
Caroline, William, and Felix brought a baroque touch to the program by beginning with three preludes and fugues by Bach in F-sharp Major, A minor, and A Major respectively. Caroline and William then dazzled with two masterpieces by Chopin: his fourth scherzo and his Grande Polonaise Brilliante. They followed with a rendition of Liebermann’s Gargoyles suite, with Caroline playing the first and third movements and William playing the fourth. The fierce energy of the fourth movement proved to be quite a spectacle, with the audience cheering and clapping loudly with its conclusion.
Ryan closed the show with a series of Chinese wushu dances, showing off his stamina and impressive acrobatic skills. Check out the video clip below for a glimpse.
Performance for Second Story Young Mothers
6/3/2025
On Tuesday, June 3, HMO members William, Caroline, and Eric visited Second Story’s young mother housing facility to deliver an exciting piano recital. The performance was part of HMO’s recent partnership with the nonprofit Second Story, aiming to help young mothers and their children unwind. HMO also took the opportunity to deliver baby supplies in bulk for the young mothers, providing bottles, diapers, baby wipes, and clothes.
Listeners fanned out in the living room, gathering around the digital piano. The recital explored works by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Kahn, and Scriabin. After each piece, audience members enthusiastically clapped and cheered. They expressed that the music had been an extremely special and rare experience for them. HMO was also delighted to interact with the young children.
HMO looks forward to performing for Second Story again!
Thank you, Second Story, for the opportunity to serve those in the community. We are glad we created an enjoyable experience for the young mothers.
VOACC Hope Wins Event
5/23/2025
Hopeful Minds Outreach (HMO) was deeply honored to perform at Hope Wins, an event organized by Volunteer of America Cheseapeake and Carolinas (VOACC) on May 23rd, 2025. The team was very proud to contribute $500 to support VOACC’s mission to spread hope, help disaster survivors, violence victims and those in urgent need. Candice Vanderwater, VOACC’s CEO and the Board members, were very touched by HMO’s impact and performance. See video here.
William Wu, Caroline Su, Jenny Huang, and a special guest, Andrew Wu impressed the audience with five amazing performance acts. Caroline opened the ensemble with an inspiring introductory speech. Jenny performed a Kung Fu routine full of spectacular acrobatics and impressive kicks and spins. William gave a sparkling and virtuosic delivery of Schumann’s Abegg Variations to loud applause. Caroline followed with a rendition of Beethoven’s Sonata op. 110 in A-Flat Major and Chopin’s Nocturne in F Major op. 15, no. 1. Our special performer Andrew Wu stunned the audience with an arrangement of Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Holden Mui. Jenny closed off the performance with a moving contemporary dance solo on Lana Del Ray’s song, Young and Beautiful.
It was a night of entertainment and inspiration, championing perseverance and hope for all! HMO looks forward to collaborating with the VOACC team in the future!
The Providence Fairfax Performance
4/26/2025
Amid a busy school testing season, on April 26, sophomores Caroline and William visited the Providence Fairfax senior residence and presented a piano duo recital. An hour before the event, the performance hall was already filled with audience members who were eagerly waiting for the event to begin. Caroline and William lifted the spirit of the seniors, familiarizing them with beautiful works including pieces by Chopin, Schumann, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff. Their entertaining introduction of the stories for each piece added fun facts and helped the audience connect with the music. Many seniors approached Caroline and William and shared how much they were touched by the music. Some commented that the performance resembled a professional concert! It is so inspiring to hear that music connects people in so many ways!
The Providence Fairfax Performance
2/8/2025
On February 8th, 2025, Hopeful Minds Outreach delivered a vibrant Lunar New Year performance at Providence Fairfax, a retirement community in Oakton, Virginia. The program opened with piano performances from William, Felix, and Ethan. Eva gracefully performed a ballet piece titled "Cat" in the second segment, and Ryan performed his 9-sectioned whip and fist forms. The performance ended with piano pieces from Aidan, Annie, and William. The senior residents were thoroughly captivated by the young performers' energy, creativity, and artistic excellence throughout the celebration.
