Every Wednesday, the members of Northwest Sound, a Bellevue-based a capella men’s chorus, meet to practice in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Bellevue.
When they got the idea to hold a benefit concert, they ran the idea by Reverend David Van Heyningen.
“Do you have a favorite charity?” they asked him.
“I do,” he replied.
Last month, First United Methodist Church and Northwest Sound Men’s Chorus came together to hold a holiday concert. Instead of admission, attendees were asked to bring a non-perishable food item for Bellevue LifeSpring’s Food and Basic Needs Pantry.
After appetizers provided by Tutta Bella of Bellevue, Reverend David welcomed attendees and thanked everyone for their support.
“We welcome everyone into our church. In addition to our own services, we host Northwest Sound’s practices, Bellevue LifeSpring’s Holiday Adopt-A-Family distribution and diverse church services in different languages. Bellevue LifeSpring does great work and I’m so glad we have this opportunity to bring our community together.”
Northwest Sound took the stage and sang holiday favorites as well as up-tempo numbers, including a few of the songs they performed at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2016 International Competition, where they placed 13th.
During a brief intermission, Bellevue LifeSpring Board Member Akhtar Badshah shared the story of a young man who recently received rent assistance from Bellevue LifeSpring. Since then, he has been able to get back on his feet, get a job and continue his education at Bellevue College.
“There are over 3,700 children in Bellevue living in poverty. Of those, 250 are homeless. This is an organization helping our community right here in Bellevue. This is a local organization being supported through local efforts by the people who live here,” Akhtar explained.
The concert brought in over $1,100 in food and cash donations! Not only did Northwest Sound provide the entertainment, they also donated 10% of ticket sales for their next show and gave generously on a personal level. One member shared that he was recently married and had requested donations for Bellevue LifeSpring in lieu of wedding gifts. “We were just looking for the right organization, and we found it.”
First United Methodist Church donates space for Holiday Adopt-A-Family distribution every year, allowing Bellevue LifeSpring to lower program costs and direct more funds to providing food, clothing, education and emergency assistance to families in need. This December, First United Methodist Church will host a distribution serving a record 283 families for Christmas.
Thank you to Bellevue LifeSpring community partners Northwest Sound, First United Methodist Church and Tutta Bella Bellevue for this amazing evening!
