Voices join on CD to help Ocean County's homeless
BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer
In an effort to raise awareness about the homeless population in Ocean County and to connect volunteers with organizations that seek tomitigate this situation, five agencies have collaborated to produce a compact disc titled "On Our Way Home" as a fundraiser to help them continue their work.

The coalition of agencies that joined forces for this effort include Community Compass, a transitional housing program for singlemen; Grace Initiatives, a program that supports pregnant youths; Interfaith Hospitality Network, a program that responds to the need of homeless families; Lakewood Outreach Ministry Church, whose primary function is to aid the chronically homeless as they live outdoors; and the House of Hope, whose mission is to reach out to all of Ocean County's needy individuals.

The CD was produced by Colin Lewis, an advocate for the homeless, and was mixed and engineered by students of Ocean County Vo-Tech School and Chris Durante, an engineer at the LivingWaters Studio in Lakehurst. The music is described as uplifting and was donated from artists throughout New Jersey.

Lewis said the project to create and produce a CD took more than three years to come to fruition.

According to a press release, the idea of the album was to select music that is "uplifting, inspirational, spiritual, overcoming hard times, defeating addictions, songs of victory, and music that evokes feelings of compassion."

The CD is being sold for $10 at theWord Shop Parable Christian Store, 1341 Lakewood Road (Route 9 and Route 571), Toms River. The store may be reached at (732) 349-1230.

The agencies are hoping to gross at least $5,000 from sales of the CD and to divide the proceeds.

Durante, who conducted the final mix for the CD, also contributed a song titled "He Knows" with Matt Vogel.

According to Durante, "I wanted to lend this song to the homeless project because I wanted to help someone who is going through a difficult time know that God knows their struggle and he cares about what they are going through. The Lord uses music during struggles in life to bring hope."

Vogel, who collaborated with Durante on "He Knows," said, "This song fit the whole project. I just wanted to help and to reach out to people who are lost and hurting."

The Rev. Steve Brigham of Lakewood Outreach Ministry Church, whose agency will benefit from the proceeds of the sale of the CD, said, "I amproud to be a part of this coalition that addresses the various aspects of homelessness.We have watched the people of this nation pull together in times of crisis to care for one another. Let us remain steadfast and proudly proclaim the reality that we are our brother's keeper and we need each other as we travel together through this journey of life."