WORCESTER – Performances by Shrewsbury artist Cara Brindisi, local guitarist Rob Joyce and the Worcester-based Hip Swayers perform at an Evening of Hope at the Brickbox Theatre, at 20 Franklin St. in Worcester, on Friday, May 10.
The event is a fundraiser for In the Hour of Need Family Shelter (IHN), a privately funded non-profit organization that supports local homeless families with children under 18 years old.
Brindisi appeared in season 22 of NBC’s “The Voice.” Joyce is a Massachusetts native who spent many years in Nashville and has performed with country artist Keith Urban. Hip Swayers are a country/rock group that performs original material along with old-time country and surf classics.
Hank Stolz, host of Talk of the Commonwealth on WCRN and at Radio Worcester.
IHN operates a three-story home in the Newton Square area that is one of the few privately held shelters in Massachusetts. The shelter serves families experiencing homelessness and do not qualify for state-funded emergency assistance shelter.
IHN accepts families regardless of income and family structure, enabling families to stay together. The program provides housing assistance, food assistance, job training, and case management. It also provides individualized services for health, establishing income, financial literacy, and housing advocacy.
Families stay with IHN for an average of six to nine months. Since 1997, over 90 percent of families in the program have found safe, stable housing. Some have settled in the area and continue to volunteer at the IHN home.
An annual grant from the US Housing & Urban Develoment Department (HUD) of $50,000 helped support the program over the last several years. This year, HUD funds were diverted to emergency shelter programs, creating a greater fundraising need to support IHN.
The 2024 Evening of Hope auctions are now open for bids.
Doors open at 6 PM on Friday, May 10. Tickets are available to attend in-person, and for access to a stream of the event.
Visit the In the Hour of Need Family Shelter website for more information on the organization and its work.
