For Tickets: musicdirector@augmented8.org
The 18th Annual Sing Out for Shelter (SOS) concert to benefit three organizations that serve homeless men and women will be held Saturday, February 20, 2010, at 8:00 PM at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church (MMUMC) at 3401 Nebraska Avenue in Washington DC. The concert is organized by the Augmented Eight a non-profit, men’s a cappella singing group which has performed for Washington audiences for over 50 years.
This annual concert of a cappella vocal music benefits three local organizations that serve the more than 30,000 individuals who experience homelessness each year in the Greater Washington DC Region – the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place, Christ House, and MMUMC’s own Metropolitan House. These concerts have raised approximately $140,000 over the past seventeen years.
The Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church is located at 3401 Nebraska Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, on the corner of New Mexico Ave and Nebraska Ave, across Nebraska Ave from the American University. Tickets will be available at the door for a tax- deductible donation of $10 (students and seniors), $25 (general admission), and $50 (patrons and preferred seating). Children under the age of 13 will be admitted free. Sponsors also welcome personal and corporate donations which can significantly increase the amounts available for the beneficiary groups.
PERFORMERS
Founded in 1988, The Georgetown Phantoms are a group of 20 Georgetown University students performing rock, pop, and R&B a cappella music. Not only did the Georgetown Phantoms just advance to the 2010 ICCA Semifinals for their first time ever competing, but in recent years they have sung with Bobby McFerrin, opened for Chingy and the Black Eyed Peas, opened for the Young @ Heart chorus, and performed at the State Department and Kennedy Center.
The stars that formed Venus d Minor converged in the spring of 1995 to create a women's a cappella octet which performs in a wide variety of musical styles. From pop to jazz standards, from classical to new wave, Venus brings its unique sound and brand of humor to audiences around the Washington, D.C. area.
The 18th Street Singers, founded in the fall of 2004, is a forty-voice ensemble of young people living, learning, and working in the DC area. Their diverse repertoire ranges from classical to American spirituals and folk songs.
CONCERT BENEFICIARIES:
Christ House: A full-care health recovery facility for the sick and homeless in the Washington, DC area, Christ House serves as a place of refuge and healing. Since opening in 1985, Christ House has served over 4,800 homeless men and women. Suffering from an array of illnesses and injuries including diabetes, cancer, and AIDS, patients at Christ House receive 24-hour health care as well as a full range of social services. The goal is for patients to leave Christ House with a new sense of hope and dignity and live independently in the community. For further information: 202-328-1100; www.christhouse.org.
Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place, located near Tenley Circle, is a collaboration of committed congregations, concerned individuals, local businesses and foundations, energetic volunteers, and a small, dedicated staff. We come together to offer the kind of caring attention it takes to bring our homeless neighbors in out of the cold and to support them on the arduous journey of rebuilding their lives. CCH/FP has been recognized for our outstanding work by the local philanthropic community. The 2005-2006 Catalogue for Philanthropy showcased CCH/FP as one of the best small charities in the Washington region, and the 2005 TouchDC initiative of Washington Grantmakers featured CCH/FP as an exceptional local nonprofit. For further information: 202-364-1419x26; www.cchfp.org.
Metropolitan House: A homeless shelter sponsored by, and housed in, the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, in northwest Washington. Opened in 1992, the Metropolitan United UMC shelter has served scores of homeless men. In 2000, Metropolitan House expanded to include participation in the Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network (CIHN) a network of churches which provides short-term housing for families. For further information: 202-244-2977; http://www.mmumc-dc.org.