FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts
| Judith Tackett The Key Alliance 615-517-7000 judith.tackett@nashville.gov |
Allison Steel Project Coat Connect Chair 615-545-9110 ProjectCoatConnect@gmail.com |
LeAnn Rimes to Collect Warm Coats for Homeless Youth in Nashville
GRAMMY® Award-winning artist calls on fans to donate a coat at her Dec.8 concert
Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 1, 2011) – LeAnn Rimes is supporting Project Coat Connect, a community effort to collect warm winter coats to Nashville's most vulnerable population.
Clifton Harris, executive director of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission that together with its nonprofit partner, The Key Alliance, coordinates Project Coat Connect, said having LeAnn Rimes be a part of the coat drive not only gives hope to children, it also draws the community together to reach out to its youth and their families.
"The solution to homelessness is breaking down barriers to housing and helping people connect to the services and income they need to remain in housing," Harris said. "Solving homelessness is a long process and will take the entire community. But when we come together, we can make a difference – one person and one family at a time."
Rimes is calling on her fans to bring along warm winter coats for local homeless youth when she performs at the Nashville Symphony's "Home for the Holidays" concert on Dec. 8 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.
At the video shoot for her recent single "Give" from her new album Lady & Gentlemen, Rimes worked closely with 15 homeless youth in Chicago in partnership with her charity of choice, StandUp 4 Kids.
"That experience changed my life," Rimes said. "Children affected by homelessness are true victims of circumstances that were out of their control."
Rimes said that while shooting her music video, she learned about the loneliness and stigma homeless youth struggle with.
"It is important for us to acknowledge that there are children and youth who struggle with homelessness in our communities," she said. "I want to tell each child and each family that we care about them."
Local communities such as Nashville have service providers who offer help. However, especially for families and youth it is sometimes hard to ask for the help they need. Often they do not even know where to go for help. Rimes and Project Coat Connect are part of the initiative to encourage homeless families to step forward and ask for the help they need.
"Metro Nashville Public Schools registered 2,049 children as being homeless at one point during the last school year," Harris said. "We need to let children and their families know that we care."
Artists Allison Steel and her daughter Krystal Steel of the band 2Steel Girls together with author Diane Joy of the Unseen Child Foundation will give away the coats to Metro School's HERO program.
The coat drive is part of Project Coat Connect, a collaborative community effort to collect coats for homeless individuals and families. It is an opportunity for everyone to support local Nashville youth who struggle with homelessness and let them know that the community has not forgotten about them.
Nashville families, youth and individuals struggling with homelessness are encouraged to visit the "Where to Find Help" directory at www.thekeyalliance.org/findhelp, which lists many available outlets. This resource depends on service agencies to report updates or request being added.
Project Coat Connect is a collaboration of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, The Key Alliance, the band 2Steel Girls (www.SteelCountryMusic.com), The Bridge Ministry, McKendree UMC, First Baptist Nashville, and Craft memorial UMC in Columbia. For more information about Project Coat Connect visit www.thekeyalliance.org.
WHAT: LeAnn Rimes to collect winter coats for homeless youth in Nashville
WHEN: Fans can drop off coats at the Nashville Symphony's Home for the Holidays concert on December 8, 2011 at 7 pm
WHERE: Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 1 Symphony Place, Nashville
WHY: To provide a warm coat for homeless children and youth (please donate only new or gently used winter coats)