Ellis Paul at his 2016 concert at the Brunswick Unitarian Universalist Church. COURTESY PHOTO / BREE CANDLAND
BRUNSWICK
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick has picked a pair of charities to support with money raised from its 2018-19 concert series.
The church will give a portion of its earnings from the concerts to the Gathering Place, a Brunswick day shelter that supports about 50-70 impoverished and homeless guests each day, and the Brunswick Teen Center, a downtown hub where children ages 6-12 can gather after school or during the summer.
Singer-songwriter Ellis Paul will be the next artist to take the stage in a repeat performance at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 29, at the church. Tickets are $20 in advance or $22 at the door.
New this year, UUCB’s Concerts for a Cause has decided that a third of all money raised from concerts would go toward church programs, while the remaining two-thirds will go toward the charities. In the past, the church had to pass a certain fundraising threshold before it could start distributing the excess to charities. This also is the first time the church has announced the recipients before the start of the concert season, so attendees now know what their money will support.
The church has given about $20,000 to charity during the past three years through the concert series and other fundraising events. Last year’s concerts netted $3,764, which was divided between Oasis Free Clinics, which offers free dental service to low-income people without insurance, and Tedford Housing, which provides shelter and housing services for people at risk of homelessness.
After the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick burned down 6 years ago, the congregation built its new church with the dream of bringing talented musicians to the Brunswick community while raising money for both the church and local charities.
Performers and audiences alike enjoy the acoustics and the warm atmosphere, according to organizers.
The Concerts for a Cause committee chooses a variety of performers so that most musical tastes of the Brunswick area community are accommodated. The concerts have included ranged from folk and jazz to classical and country. The committee likes to hire quality local acts as well as nationally known musicians. They also try to keep the ticket prices as low as possible and still make a profit.
For more information or to see the slate of scheduled concerts, visit uubrunswick.org or the Concerts for a Cause Facebook page at facebook.com/ UUCBconcerts.
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