Press Release - December 1, 2011 PDF Print E-mail

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)

 

 

###
  		 
  • onlinedonations
To donate online, click on the "Join The Key Alliance" button.
The Key Alliance is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization that partners with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission to bring together the community to collaborate around permanent solutions to homelessness in Nashville.

NEWSTICKER

Upcoming Events:

End Homelessness Eraselets
The Key Alliance together with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission is utilizing a new marketing tool called Eraselets, which are wristbands that also serve as erasers. The message on the Eraselets is End Homelessness. Eraselet inventor Bryan Ricci became homeless at the age of 15. Currently he is trying to get his product into Wal-Mart.

Operation Stand Down
The 20th Annual Operation Stand Down Event has been scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 12, 13 and 14, 2012 at the old TN Preparatory School (TPS) Gymnasium Please note this is a return to our regular weekend format! The address is 1164 Foster Avenue, Nashville, TN 37210.

Community Calendar
The Key Alliance hosts a new feature on its Website: A Community Calendar (view tab on the left). Service providers are invited to email details of their events and happenings they would like to be listed on our Community Calendar to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Contributor goes to twice monthly
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, The Contributor, Nashville's successful street newspaper, will publish two issues per month. "In a time when print media is on the decline, street newspapers all around the world have seen major increases in distribution. The Contributor, now the highest-distributing street newspaper in North America, is a leader in the global street newspaper movement’s success. Thanks to the hard work and determination of its vendors and staff, as well as the generosity of its donors, The Contributor has grown exponentially over the last two years, enabling approximately one-third of the paper’s vendors to earn enough money to obtain housing." - Andrew Krinks, The Contributor's editor, in a recent press release.

Volunteer Award
The Key Alliance is proud to announce that our volunteer, Ben Morton, was honored with the Phyllis M. Frank Volunteer Award by the Nashville Coaltion for the Homeless for his outstanding efforts to help the local homeless community. Read the press release here.

Adopt A Unit
The Key Alliance, in partnership with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, has launched a new program called Adopt A Unit that invites congregations to help formerly homeless individuals establish a household.
For more information, click here.

**********************************
The next MHC meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 2, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. in the Sonny West Conference Room of the Howard Office Building (Fulton Complex), 700 Second Ave. South.
**********************************
A Summary Report of the Committee on Police/Homeless Issues of the MHC is posted here.
**********************************
Adopt A Meter Program
The Key Alliance has partnered with NashVitality to promote its Adopt A Meter program.
The program places refurbished "parking" meters in high foot traffic areas Downtown. All change collected will benefit homeless outreach with the goal to place people into Housing First. For a $1,000 sponsorship, contact Clifton Harris at 862-6401 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
**********************************
The Key Alliance launched a Speaker's Bureau program. We are available to speak to groups larger than 10 members including businesses, neighborhood associations, civic groups and congregations.
Contact Judy Tackett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to set up YOUR meeting.
**********************************
To date the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission and MDHA have been able to connect 37 homeless individuals who lost everything in the May floods with Section 8 Housing vouchers. The Homelessness Commission has closed the program. All Section 8 Voucher applicants have to go through MDHA's Secion 8 Office at 620 Dew Street.
**********************************
If you would like to be included on our volunteer e-mail list for special events and other opportunities, or sign up for our newsletter, please contact Judy Tackett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
For media inquiries
call Judy Tackett at 517-7000.