CARIBOU, Maine — Thursday, Dec. 18, the Heart of Christmas Benefit Concert will be coming to the Caribou Performing Arts Center for a special presentation to help benefit Homeless Services of Aroostook.
The benefit concert will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature a long list of guest singers, as well as, vocalist Stephanie Plourde, who is not only the feature act, but who, along with her husband, has worked for the past month to coordinate and organize the special event.
Plourde is an Aroostook County native who has had a passion for singing and performing her entire life. She will be joined by special guests including guitarist Nathan Grass, pianist Margaret Cyr, violinist Stephen Boody, pianist Lukas Lagasse, singing group The Mistletones and Amy Hunter, who will be acting as director for the concert.
“I first thought of putting on a Christmas concert back in November, after I performed at the Caribou High School fundraiser, “So You Think You’ve Got Talent,” said Plourde. “I love to sing and I love the Christmas season, so a Christmas concert naturally came to mind. Then, I thought to make it a benefit concert for Homeless Services of Aroostook, located in Presque Isle, and talked to the shelter’s Director Stephen Eyler to make it happen. I thought, “What better place to help out during the holidays, than the homeless shelter, and folks who have no ‘home’ to call their own.”
Plourde explained that at first, her objective was to raise funds for HSA, but as the weeks progressed, her view broadened.
“I realized that there are probably others in our community who may be as intimidated as I once was about getting involved with such a need, and this concert is an enjoyable and non-threatening way to do that,” she said. “I hope that by bringing people together to support such a cause it will open their eyes to the desperate needs there are among our own people, our neighbors, essentially. Ultimately, my hope is that we all realize that we are blessed and we have so much to be thankful for. There has been a huge response to the concert already, and great support from the community.”
Plourde’s Heart of Christmas Benefit Concert is meant not only to provide Christmas cheer to all those who are able to be a part of the event, but more importantly to benefit the cause of ending homelessness in Aroostook County. The Homeless Services of Aroostook, which is located in Presque Isle, is dedicated to ending homelessness in the area and has been striving to do so since opening their shelter in 1984. The 43-bed facility serves families, as well as individuals who are in need of emergency shelter. In addition to a warm place to sleep, shelter residents have access to hot showers, three meals a day and a laundry facility.
The organization began when the late Sister Mary O’Donnell along with the St. Mary’s Social Action Committee spearheaded the effort to create a place for people who found themselves homeless. They were then called the Temporary Shelter for the Homeless, Inc. In 1998, after O’Donnell’s death, the name was changed to Sister Mary O’Donnell Homeless Shelter as a legacy for her selfless service to the people of Aroostook County, and the current staff has continued that legacy, while becoming the only emergency homeless shelter in Aroostook County.
All shelter residents are provided with a case manager who works with every individual and family to establish a plan, providing a road map back to independent living. According to HSA Director Stephen Eyler, the case managers advocate for and connect shelter residents to the programs and services available to them to meet their specific needs. Their compassionate staff makes every effort to decrease the stress of homelessness by checking in new clients professionally, taking time to review rules and policies and answering any questions while ensuring confidentiality at all times.
According to Eyler, there is an overwhelming need for Christmas gifts for the children at the homeless shelter. He describes Christmas as a magical and extra special time for the resident children there, as you can imagine. So, if you are able, he asks that you please bring an unwrapped children’s gift with you to the concert. A collection box will also be available at the event.
For Plourde, spearheading a concert of this magnitude is not something she has ever done before, but the rewarding feeling she has found herself experiencing is well worth all the effort.
“Organizing a concert of this scale is entirely new to me, so most of it has been a learning experience. The first few weeks were a rush of collecting sponsors and getting advertising out,” said Plourde. “Publicity is the biggest obstacle, but after people started hearing about the concert, it has gained both speed and support. Everyone I have spoken to has been thrilled to hear about it and is in full support. Many have commented along the lines of, “We need something like this. This is a good thing!”
Plourde, who has a degree in Music Education with a vocal performance focus, has only had about a month to prepare, but she has no doubt that on the Dec. 18, everything will fall into place.
“The idea came to me about the middle of November, so I’ve only had a little over 4 weeks to prepare,” she added. “The idea of doing a concert of some type has always been in the back of my mind but this time, it has actually come to life. My prayer is that it gives someone else a better life.”
Tickets for the Heart of Christmas Benefit Concert can be purchased in Presque Isle at Bradley’s Citgo and Country Collectibles, or in Caribou at Plourde Furniture and Monica’s Scandinavian Imports. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students 18 and under.
The Heart of Christmas Benefit Concert is sponsored by Cary Medical Center, Aroostook Savings and Loan, Griffeth Auto, Plourde Furniture Company and S.W. Collins Co.
For those who are not able to attend or for additional donations make checks payable to: Sister Mary O’Donnell Shelter, P.O. Box 1753, Presque Isle, ME 04769, or visit their website at www.aroostookhomeless.org/donations/.
For more information visit the concert website at hsabenefitconcert.com.