Food and Warmth Show returns after 3 years

There was a defining moment for musician Todd MacLean after he started the Food and Warmth Show fundraising concert.

He had just dropped off a donation of clothing at the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry, a food bank and soup kitchen in Charlottetown, when he saw a young man walk up to the bag.

The man went through the clothes and pulled out a sweater. That's when it started feeling like a scene from a movie, he said.

"He held it up and had this light in his eyes and said 'it's Christmas,'" he said. "We were pretty moved by that."

Back after three-year hiatus

After a three-year hiatus, the Food and Warmth Show is returning to Charlottetown on Dec. 22. It takes place at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall at Holland College.

The concert brings together an impressive lineup of musicians from all over the Island, who perform to collect warm clothing and non-perishable food donations for those in need.

All cash proceeds from the $20 concert go to the Upper Room. It's $15 for those who bring a non-perishable food donation.

MacLean spoke to Mainstreet P.E.I. earlier this week with show co-organizer Sharon Keller, events co-ordinator at Holland College.

Keller said it's a wonderful way to finish the year.

"It's heart-warming in general that we will have a small part in hopefully making someone's Christmas better," she said.

Seriouslygiving back

The show first started in 2005.

There was a good group of bands in town at the time, and MacLean and his wife,Savannah Belsher-MacLean, came up with the idea of giving back to the community.

So they organized a fundraising concert for The Upper Room and called it Food and Warmth show.

"It's just the most simple name possible because that's really what it's all about is gathering food and warmth," he said.

"It was such a fun success the first year that we just decided to keep it going."

MacLean ended up taking a break from the show in 2013 until Keller asked him to bring it back this year.

Keller said she is good friends with MacLean and Belsher-MacLean. When the theatre was looking for a fundraising opportunity for the Christmas season, she remembered their show.

It didn't take long for them to get musicians interested in this year's performance, including bands such as Andrew Waite and the Firm, the Amanda Jackson Band and Racoon Bandit.

But this year, the event will have two stages, one main stage for the bands and an acoustic one in the lobby.

There will also be food services and other fundraising events, including a silent auction.

"We had a really good year and we just wanted to seriously be able to give back to the community," she said.

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