It’s an unseasonably warm day in January and three musicians from Our Joyful Noise Baltimore (OJN for short) are posing for a photo in front of The Baltimore Station, a residential and outpatient treatment facility for veterans near Federal Hill.

There’s founding executive director Maria Lambros, also a violist and on the chamber music faculty at the Peabody Conservatory, as well as married performers Dan and Claudia Zanes (she sings and plays a variety of instruments; he mostly sticks to guitar and harmonica). They’re not here to give a concert—although the latter two do break into an impromptu performance of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” A few of the vets have gathered to watch. They clearly know the musicians—and love them.

“Y’all playing for us today?” one asks hopefully. “Not today,” Lambros says, but promises they’ll be back later this month. “She has the most beautiful voice I’ve heard,” one veteran says of Claudia. Another vet spontaneously gives Lambros a hug.

The nonprofit organization, officially formed in 2018 by Lambros, has many more musicians than this—it’s a rotating group of dozens of ensembles and individuals that include classical, jazz, R&B, rock, world music, folk, gospel, and blues, you name it. And they perform in spaces where they can do the most good.

Currently, there are eight programs that serve eight distinct groups: women facing incarceration, autistic children and their families, cancer patients, veterans experiencing homelessness, seniors with disabilities, patients with Alzheimer’s and other memory issues, and youth and adults in the Franklin Square neighborhood in West Baltimore.

The idea, says Lambros, is to “bring everyone together in a very human way. Our aim is not to educate or to build audiences. Our aim is to really make a heart-to-heart connection between the musicians and the audience.”

Says Kim Callari, executive director of The Baltimore Station, “OJN has been a lifesaver for us.”

Notably, there’s no barrier between the musicians and the audience at an OJN concert. Participation—in the form of singing and dancing—is encouraged. (This is particularly meaningful at the concerts for autistic children. Wrote one enthused mom to OJN: “I started to cry when I read the words in big letters at the top, ‘All behaviors welcome here…ENJOY!’”)

The concerts are all free and while the musicians do get paid for their work, it’s become a mission for them as well.

“We just want to be useful,” says Dan Zanes. “We’re living our purpose.”

9/24-26: Audubon’s Baltimore Birding Weekend
This two-day tradition, which supports the conservation work of the Patterson Park Audubon Center, returns to bring birders and wildlife lovers together outdoors. Through guided tours, traverse land and water as you take in the wonder of Charm City’s feathered friends and all the spaces they call home.

9/24: Equinox
Join the Baltimore Museum of Industry for Equinox, a celebration aiming to raise
funds and awareness to support the goal of ending homelessness in Baltimore. With local brews, live music, and proceeds going to the housing programs of St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, you can support Equinox’s mission and help make the kinds of changes you want to see in our community. 1415 Key Hwy.

9/26: Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive
Owners of vintage cars and connoisseurs of all things refined are invited to show off their gentlemanly style—think tweed jackets, monocles, and glorious mustaches—at this fundraiser hosted by Harbor East’s Christopher Schafer Clothier. Proceeds support the Movember Foundation, a group working to raise awareness around men’s health issues. Prices TBA, 1400 Aliceanna St.

10/28: Blue Jeans {& Bow Ties} Ball
The Ulman Foundation, a nonprofit working to support young people and their loved ones affected by cancer, invites you to a dinner and live auction fundraiser at The Winslow in downtown Baltimore. After dinner, stick around for drinks and dancing to celebrate The Ulman Foundation’s mission. 333 W. Ostend St.

11/6: Stars, Stripes, and Chow
Head down to West Covington Park for a taste of this delicious chili cookoff, hosted by The Baltimore Station, a group helping veterans regain self-sufficiency. With support from organizations like the Baltimore Orioles, M&T Bank, and iHeartRadio, proceeds from the cookoff will help homeless veterans escape cycles of poverty. Prices and other details TBA, 101 W. Cromwell St.