March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 41 F

Jen Chapin Visits Light House

Hank (far left), Light House resident plays harmonica with Jen Chapin and her band

Recently, renowned singer/songwriter Jen Chapin (daughter of Harry Chapin, “Cats in the Cradle”) collaborated with Creating Communities, an Annapolis based non-profit run by Rob Levit, for a performance and workshop for residents and area students at the Light House Shelter in Annapolis, Maryland. Ms. Chapin was joined by her husband, Stephan Crump (bass) and Jamie Fox (guitar) while touring the East Coast from Brooklyn, New York.

Jen and her group performed an intimate acoustic concert of socially-conscious originals dealing with hunger, child advocacy and homelessness. Audience members then collaborated with the musicians to write and sing their own lyrics on similar topics. Students from Creating Communities also prepared original holiday cards for the elderly in the Annapolis area while Hank, a Lighthouse Shelter resident, jammed extensively with the band on blues harmonica.

Creating Communities is an award-winning non-profit organization that delivers life-changing and skill-building arts programs in Anne Arundel County. It offers a weekly arts program at the Light House Shelter for adults. Creating Communities is founded by musician/educator Rob Levit, 2011 Martin Luther King Peace Maker Award recipient.

Rob Levit with former Light House resident Tammy

“Our Mission is to harness the power of the arts to build life skills and self-esteem, and foster connections across cultures. We seek to partner with communities and provide underserved populations with direct access to the arts through innovative programs and mentorships. This was an incredible day,” Mr. Levit explained.

Over a year ago, the Light House: Homeless Prevention and Support Center in Annapolis moved into its new 24,000 square foot facility on Hudson Street. In addition to providing shelter to 45 individuals and five families, Light House provides over 150 bag lunches everyday to those in need in our community and distributes over 6,000 bags of groceries each year through the pantry program thanks to the generosity of volunteers. The shelter has also opened a Clothing Closet and now provides winter relief to chronically homeless individuals, seven nights a week until March, to keep them from freezing and going hungry during inclement weather.

It is the goal of the Light House to evaluate immediate needs of homeless individuals and families, assess the root causes of homelessness and empower them with the education, financial, job and life skills needed to sustain employment, permanent housing and independence.

For more information or to volunteer at the Light House, please contact Michele Marshall at 410.349.5056 or by email at marshall@ annapolislighthouse.org.

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