Homeless group sings for hope

SPOKANE -- On Monday night, dozens of homeless families got together to rehearse for an annual holiday performance. The singers, including their children, get together and perform inspirational music about their life experiences. Every year, the choir holds a concert and fundraiser at the Bing Crosby Theater. The choir hopes the event will inspire you to help. “Took my family down to the devils playground, the rushing river where the current runs strong,” sang Christie Thatcher. With each note and every string of the guitar, Thatcher sings her story. “Well, my daughter was 19 and she was pregnant and her boyfriend didn't want her to have a baby so he shot her,” Thatcher said. Her daughter was kept alive just long enough to have the baby. Thatcher turned to drugs to cope with the traumatic experience, and then became homeless. “Since I've been in the Voiceless, I've been clean for over a year,” Thatcher said. This choir and her song keeps her strong. All the music is original and inspired by each other. “These are American stories. These are us. It's not somebody out there, these are us, these are our children,” said choir director Redhawk. Redhawk, a local pastor and song writer, started the Voiceless Homeless Choir six years ago. “This is where America is most alive. This is where America needs to find itself again,” Redhawk said. The music builds relationships when these families need it the most. Emma Christie is 14 years old and was homeless for over a year, living with her mother. These songs give her hope for a better future. “I had to go to school knowing that I was homeless and people saying ‘oh, I chased a bum’ and it really hurt my feelings,” Emma said. It still hurts, but the lyrics will get better because her family now has a home of their very own. “It feels really good knowing that I can walk down to the bus stop with friends and know that I'm not the singled one out,” said Emma. If you would like to hear these songs of hope, the concert will be on Sunday December 6th at 6:30pm at the Bing Crosby Theater. A silent auction starts at 5:30pm on the same day and the money raised will support the choir and provide hot meals for the families. It will also help benefit Crosswalk and Interfaith Hospitality.