Trinity Episcopal Church holds benefit concert for Interfaith Winter Shelter

Outside Trinity Episcopal Church, pedestrians walked by in the warm, October weather. For those inside, weather was also on the mind.

Sunday afternoon, Trinity Church offered an orchestral concert promoting the work of Interfaith Winter Shelter, an organization dedicated to providing safe havens against cold winter nights for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Playing scores of music by Beethoven, Bach and a song taken from the musical “Les Misérables,” the small group of volunteers of Trinity Church and Interfaith captivated the audience, receiving standing ovations after each performance.

From October to April, the Interfaith Winter Shelter has coordinated with various Bloomington churches to provide shelter for homeless individuals during winter months.

The Interfaith Shelter began in spring 2009 and has evolved into a project with 20 faith based communities, more 450 volunteers and many public and private governmental entities that all work together to create safe, healthy shelters for those in need, according to the Interfaith Shelter website.

Trinity’s Rev. Virginia Hall volunteers with Interfaith and said Trinity founded the shelter. When demand increased, they began outreach efforts.

“The Interfaith project started four years ago with about 30 people staying in the shelter,” she said. “As the organization grew, we had to ask the Bloomington community for more help on housing.”

While violins, a cello, piano and organ were echoing throughout the church, the audience of the Trinity Parish and Interfaith volunteers donated money to the organization.

Religious organizations throughout the community will be available from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days per week to provide a place for individuals experiencing homelessness to avoid the possibility of contracting hypothermia and frostbite.

The funds from the concert’s received donations will go toward transportation, laundry and food for those occupying the shelters.

“The food will be provided separately by each church and depending on the amount of space the church has to offer for the individuals,” Hall said.

In 2009, the shelters housed about 30 people for three months a few nights a week.

Last year, the number had grown to the upper 60s, Hall said in a speech to the audience.

Demonstrating the need for volunteers, Hall said the number of homeless individuals in Bloomington is increasing rapidly, and the Interfaith committee is not sure how they will care for everyone.

Bloomington couple Pat and Gates Agnew are members of the Trinity Episcopal Church parish and have been volunteering with the Interfaith Winter Shelter committee for years.

“The number of homeless individuals in Bloomington is growing every year,” Gates Agnew said. “The number of people have doubled over the last four years, including the percent of women in the shelter.”