20th Annual 'Music for Meals' Event On for Tonight!

The 20th Annual 'Music for Meal' concert event is set to take place Wednesday night, Feb. 20 at 7:30 PM at Guilford High School Auditorium. The event will feature music and songs from The Guilford High School Music Department, Voices, Jazz Ensemble and Wind Ensemble, and will benefit Guilford Interfaith Ministries Meals on Wheels program.

The event is free to attend, and there will be free will donations accepted at the door. All of the proceeds go directly to the Meals on Wheels program. "It is so nice to work in a town where music is so valued in our schools," Joann Carson, Director, Guilford Interfaith Ministries told Guilford Patch. "The music that will be featured tomorrow night is of such high quality, and we're so excited to be continuing this partnership for 20 years now."

The Meals on Wheels program the concert will benefit has grown tremendously since it's establishment in 1985. "We started with 15 meals, and now we are doing 75-85 meals a day," Carson continued. "The program is very flexible, and people can elect to get two meals a month or seven meals a week."

"There are also no age or financial restrictions on the program since no state or federal funds are used," added Marta Slattery, who heads the Meals on Wheels Program at GIM. "This program is for ANY Guilford resident who is having trouble providing a well balanced meal for themselves. So, if you're overwhelmed, or just had surgery, or are in a financial tight spot, whatever the need, we are here and this service is available to you." 

According to GIM's Year End Report, the Meals on Wheels delivered 24,000 meals between July 2011 and June 2012, and their volunteer drivers logged over 19,000 miles delivering those meals. 

GIM also offers a Friendly Visisting Program, which matches volunteers to individuals seeking social connections, as well as Charlie's Closet, which provides used medical equipment for a nominal fee. Additionally, they coordinate volunteers for food distribution for the Guilford Food Bank. 

"Our organization and its programs only exist because of the support of the Guilford Community Fund and the Town of Guilford," said Carson. "We cannot thank them enough for their continuing support, as well as the support from our other sponsors, partnerships, and volunteers."

The 'Music for Meals' event was originally scheduled for Feb. 13, but due to the Blizzard, the event was postponed. "We usually get a good turnout for this event; the audotorium is usually pretty full," Carson said. "And we're hoping that because we had to reschedule the event, everyone still knows it's happening tomorrow."

The event is the first of five yearly fundraisers for GIM, which also include the Rotary's Lobster Fest in June, Crop Walk in October, and a Patriotic Dinner an Tree Lighting events in December.

Baked goods and some refreshments will be provided at the concert.