Second Saturdays at Sunnyside Up
Every year we hear about people who suffer, sometimes die, as a result of having to sleep out in the cold – homeless, nowhere to go and no one to help. We can prevent that from happening to anyone in our town.
All Proceeds Go to Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition
The Music: The Bush Pilots Band is a talented bluegrass influenced trio whose positive energy is positively contagious – and fun! “In your bowl, it looks like rice … but it’s still movin’ and that ain’t right!” (from their original song: Biscuits and Gravy). We’ll have Pete Kozak on banjo, mandolin, and vocals; Ron Benshoof on guitar and vocals; and Rainier Farmer on bass. The swift riffs, tricky fingerwork, demanding timing, beautifully structured harmonies and songs, many of them original works, all make for a special musical experience. If you love the music from the “Oh Brother” soundtrack, you will want to hear the Bush Pilots beautiful rendition of “Man of Constant Sorrow.” Although we can’t promise, we suspect that on concert night they’ll perform that one for us. These guys are awesome! You don’t want to miss this. We thank them for donating their time and talent to a very worthy cause.
The Bush Pilots
The Beneficiary: All donations from the April concert will go to Corvallis Homeless Shelter Coalition (CHSC), a local organization whose mission is to provide shelter for local homeless citizens during the four coldest months of the year. Outside of those four months, at either end, we can still experience very cold weather, sometimes snow. According to Aleita Hass-Holcomb (Chairwoman of CHSC), “…only through a determined community effort will a more comprehensive vision be possible.” The coalition uses a model of volunteerism to accomplish their goals. There were seventeen groups involved this past season, CHSC’s third year of providing the cold weather shelter. Three years has been time enough to see that the shelter has had a positive impact on the lives of its homeless guests and that harm to them was significantly reduced. Besides providing a warm indoor place to sleep, the shelter assists homeless individuals to make connections with local health care providers and, in some cases, supports successful treatment of drug addiction. CHSC commends the Westside Community Church for providing the space for last season’s shelter and for setting up two days a week for folks to take showers. Donations from this benefit will help the coalition find suitable shelter for next year. Reflecting on the CHSC program, the volunteers and community support that make it possible, and the homeless individuals who are supported, Hass-Holcomb says, “It speaks loudly of how much a caring environment can influence behavior.” - certainly one of the oldest and wisest truths known to humankind.
Sponsors Second Saturdays Benefit Concert Series is sponsored by Corvallis Alternatives to War; Chapter 132 of Veterans for Peace, and Troubadour Music Center. We owe a special thanks to Troubadour’s owner, Kent Buys, who loans sound equipment for the concerts to any of our musicians who need it. Three cheers for Kent and Troubadour Music!