George and Charlie to Help Homeless Kids in Naperville and Beyond

Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 3, 2016


[Naperville, IL] Launching The Charlie Book: 60 Ways to Help Homeless Kids at the October 13  George Winston HEAR US Benefit concert will bring together the perennially popular musician George Winston with the iconic Charlie, the homeless boy who opened school doors for millions of homeless kids nationwide. Mr. Winston will play at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Naperville.

HEAR US Inc., the Naperville-based national nonprofit giving voice and visibility to homeless children and youth, uses the image of Charlie in its logo. Naperville photojournalist Pat Van Doren photographed the little boy holding a cat, an image that became the poster child for the campaign to pass the first statewide law guaranteeing homeless kids access to school, legislation now in effect across the entire nation.

The Charlie Book: 60 Ways to Help Homeless Kids, written by Diana Bowman, a nationally prominent expert on homeless children, contains photos by Diane Nilan, former shelter director at Hesed House in Aurora, one of the people responsible for the homeless education laws. Nilan founded HEAR US 12 years ago and has been on the road since then, living in a small camper, chronicling homeless children and youth.

HEAR US will sell the books for $10, with proceeds supporting this unique nonprofit’s efforts to expand the common perception of homelessness to include children and youth. The 24-page Charlie Book gives practical suggestions to help kids and families. Nilan said, “This is a perfect tool for shelters, faith communities, scout troops, community organizations and individuals who want to make an impact in their community. When I ran the PADS shelter I would have loved to be able to hand the book to people who expressed sincere desire to help families and youth.”

This is the 3rd concert George Winston has done to benefit HEAR US. Nilan met up with George in Seattle recently at one of his performances. “I’m awed a musician of his prominence gives so generously to causes of homelessness and hunger,” she said. Winston has asked those attending the concert to bring donations of food for Loaves & Fishes Community Services, a Naperville-based agency providing food and services to those in need.

Nilan will be in the Naperville area for a short time before taking off for Florida to present at the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth’s annual conference on the new HEAR US effort, Yay Babies! According to Nilan, most people have no idea that over 1 million homeless babies and toddlers, mostly with their families, struggle to survive without enough formula or diapers. Her 2-minute Yay Babies! public service video calls attention to this little population.

Naperville was “ground zero” for the birth of this important civil rights legislation that guarantees access to school for over 1.3 million children and youth without homes. Naperville area legislators, educators, and activists were involved in this campaign in 1993-94, including Nilan. “We’ve got ‘skin in the game’ on making sure this law works and that policymakers pay attention to the needs of families and youth in homeless situations,” stated Nilan. She’s coming back to make good on that promise. 

Information about ticket and book sales: www.hearus.us  

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By George! George Winston To Return for HEAR US Benefit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 30, 2016

For information: 

Diane Nilan, 630/267-5424

[Naperville, IL] Homeless babies, toddlers, kids of all ages are counting on fans of George Winston, the popular musician whose piano and guitar music has delighted fans for decades. His benefit concert for the Naperville-based national nonprofit HEAR US Inc. on Oct. 13 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Naperville will support the organization’s newest project, Yay Babies! Yay Kids!

“George is incredibly supportive of programs serving homeless and hungry people,” states Diane Nilan, president and founder of HEAR US, a unique effort giving voice and visibility to millions of homeless children and youth in the U.S. 

Winston has performed 2 other benefit concerts for HEAR US since it started in 2005. Nilan, former shelter director at Hesed House in Aurora, has been living in a small van, traveling the country raising awareness of and inspiring compassion for invisible homeless families and youth.

The Oct. 13 concert will feature a variety of George Winston’s styles including melodic folk piano, New Orleans R&B piano, and stride piano.  He performs songs from his seasonal favorites “Autumn,” “December,” “Winter Into Spring,” and “Summer,” as well as Peanuts pieces from his Vince Guaraldi tribute albums “Linus & Lucy –The Music of Vince Guaraldi,” and Love Will Come-The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Vol. 2,” and more.

HEAR US relies on generous donations and events like this concert to fund efforts to improve lives of over 3 million homeless children and youth. Their latest project, Yay Babies! Yay Kids!, creates ways to help babies, toddlers and kids in local communities. Nilan’s latest video production is a 2-minute public service announcement film, Yay Babies! It’s designed to be shared on social media and focuses on the segment of the homeless population seldom considered—babies. The video can be found at www.hearus.us.

Charlie
© Pat Van Doren

Another exciting HEAR US effort is underway—the publishing of “The Charlie Book” outlining 60 ways to help homeless kids—which will have its national release at the concert. This 20-page guide gives practical information and offers ways individuals and groups can help families and youth in homeless situations. With the extensive HEAR US network, this book promises a national impact, both in practical ways and in focusing attention on an often-neglected population. 

The book is named after Charlie, the iconic photograph of Charlie, a small homeless boy holding a cat, an image captured by photojournalist Pat Van Doren, a HEAR US board member. This image, now central to the HEAR US logo,helped Illinois pass the nation's first state law to remove barriers common to homeless students attempting to get their education. Van Doren, Nilan and many other HEAR US board members were part of that campaign that led to passage the federal law, The Education of Homeless Children and Youth Act which protects the educational rights of over 1.3 million students without homes. 

Information about the concert and ticket sales can be found at www.hearus.us.  

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George Winston's Guitar Strums Up Support for Homeless Kids

When George Winston comes to Naperville on March 28th, his performance will give a big boost to HEAR US’ efforts to give voice and visibility to homeless families and teens across America. This nonprofit’s new documentary, “On the Edge,” offers a dramatic behind-the-scenes look at shattered relationships, natural disasters, and systemic shortcomings that disintegrate stability for millions of children, teens and families living in homelessness.

George Winston will perform a benefit solo guitar concert on Sunday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 1313 N Mill Street. Suggested donation is $20, all directed to HEAR US, a Naperville-based nonprofit organization that works to address family and teen homelessness nationwide. People’s Resource Center will also benefit by donations of nonperishable food by the audience. This is Winston’s second such appearance for these organizations.

The current work of HEAR US centers around a powerful documentary on family and teen homelessness, “On the Edge,” (working title) that lets the true experts, those experiencing loss of their homes, share their stories. HEAR US president and founder Diane Nilan, former longtime PADS shelter director at Hesed House, has teamed up with Dr. Laura Vazquez, documentary expert from Northern Illinois University, to film and produce this poignant look at how women cope with the loss of housing and stability.

Since pulling out of Naperville in November 2005, Nilan has been on the road in her RV, now her home and office. She filmed, and Vazquez produced, the nationally-acclaimed documentary series, “My Own Four Walls,” children talking about homelessness and school. “This first film paved the way for ‘On the Edge,’” Nilan states. “The compelling stories of families I met in 2006 needed to be told. Laura’s enthusiastic willingness to spearhead this ambitious project brought it to fruition.” Vazquez took a sabbatical and has spent long hours, collaborating with Nilan, editing this hour-long film.

What remains for “On the Edge” is final tweaking to gain attention for national screening, according to Nilan, who has been showing rough cuts to rave reviews as she’s traveled cross-country since early November. Technical fine-tuning costs money, which HEAR US hopes will materialize because of the concert.

The Nilan-Vazquez video team has another project in the works, a short film depicting the soaring number of homeless babies and toddlers, estimated over 40% of more than 1.5 million homeless children in America. The harm to a child’s health and development greatly impairs chances for a self-sustaining adulthood according to early childhood experts working with HEAR US on this project, including students and staff at Chicago’s Erikson Institute, the nation’s premiere child development institution.

 “Every note that George plays will mean a tremendous amount of support for our efforts and for the well-being of millions of kids,” states the somewhat road-weary Nilan, concerned about the poverty and housing needs of millions of families, including hundreds in affluent DuPage County. “This can be a great way to help others while helping this community.” # # #

George Winston to Play to Help Homeless Kids

Venue Contact: Diane Nilan, 630/267-5424

Artist Contact:  Jennifer Gallacher 831/429-5085 x 215

GEORGE WINSTON to Perform SOLO GUITAR at a Benefit Concert for HEAR US
 on March 28, 2010 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Naperville

Tickets Information: 630/225-5012

February 23, 2010—George Winston, best known for his solo piano performances, has announced that he will perform a SOLO GUITAR CONCERT (no piano played during this concert) to benefit the Naperville-based nonprofit organization HEAR US Inc., a national organization that helps homeless children, youth and families.

A food drive to benefit will be held in conjunction with this concert.  The audience is encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations to the show in support of People’s Resource Center in Wheaton.

For many years, George has been studying and recording the masters of the Hawaiian Slack Key guitar, the solo finger-style guitar tradition unique to Hawai’i, which dates back to the early 1800s (and predates the steel guitar by about 60 years).  “I experience such beauty and inspiration in the music of these masters,” says George, producer or co-producer of 36 slack key albums on the Dancing Cat record label.  “When I first heard some of the great Hawaiian slack key guitarists in the early 1970s, such as Keola Beamer, Led Kaapana, Ray Kane, Leonard Kwan, the late Gabby Pahinui, the late Sonny Chillingworth, the late Atta Isaacs and others, I realized right away that my priority was to help make this tradition better known, and ultimately more available to people.”

George’s performance will feature Hawaiian Slack Key as well as traditional American music, including Appalachian fiddle tunes, ragtime, popular standards and more.

So far he has two recordings with solo guitar:

1. First, the soundtrack for the Japanese story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. The story was originally produced as a half-hour film directed by George Levenson for his non-profit media organization, Informed Democracy.  He also recorded the solo guitar, piano, and harmonica soundtracks for the Informed Democracy children’s videos Pumpkin Circle, about the cycle of the seasons unfolding in a backyard pumpkin patch, and Bread Comes to Life.

2. Second, REMEMBRANCE – A MEMORIAL BENEFIT, a 6-song CD of piano, guitar, and harmonica solos.  All artist proceeds from this CD are being donated to benefit those affected by 9/11.

This will be the second concert George has performed for HEAR US. His support enabled this organization to become an influential force helping homeless children and youth across the country. Materials—videos and books—developed and marketed by HEAR US, and Diane Nilan’s presentations, have given homeless children and youth voice and visibility, enabling educators, college students, and the public to hear directly from those affected by homelessness. Greater awareness means increased access to school, according to Nilan, instrumental in improving Illinois and federal legislation to remove barriers to education for the over 1.5 million homeless children in America.

The HEAR US award-winning documentary, My Own Four Walls, (on DVD) has been seen by thousands of adults and children across the country. “Audience reaction is tremendous,” states Diane Nilan, the former director of the PADS homeless shelter at Hesed House in Aurora. “My Own Four Walls and our other videos and books have created more awareness than we can ever calculate. I’m humbled by the courageous kids who agreed to participate in this project, and so deeply grateful for George Winston’s generous support.”

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George Winston Solo Guitar Concert to Benefit HEAR US

HEAR US Inc. is delighted to announce that musician George Winston will return to Naperville to do another solo guitar concert to benefit HEAR US! His last HEAR US concert was in October 2006.

On Sunday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 1313 Mills Street in Naperville, George will play half Hawaiian Slack Key guitar music and half Appalachian guitar music.

HEAR US Inc. is a national nonprofit organization that gives voice and visibility to homeless children, youth and families. The HEAR US videos and books foster greater awareness and understanding of the over 1.5 million homeless families and teens, a mostly invisible problem nationwide.

Suggested donations for tickets is $20. They may be obtained through the HEAR US website's donation page. Or mail checks payable to HEAR US (indicate it's for the concert), 1163 E Ogden Ave. 705-329, Naperville, IL 60563. For information, contact Diane Nilan, HEAR US president, diane@hearus.us, or leave a voice mail message at 630-225-5012.

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