November 10, 2015 – At first, Gin Weathers was just looking for the chance to dance. Partly because she loves to move to music, but primarily because she had run into Alex Shirley, the soulful Jamaican Bassist and singer who founded “Jonah and the Whalewatchers.” This legendary local band is known for performing “heartbeat music that fuses Caribbean and African beats with American jazz, blues and soul to create a very unique sound that is most often identified as reggae.
Since 1990, Jonah and the Whalewatchers has been bringing “positive musical consciousness and culture” to performance venues in an effort to foster a message of peace and love for humanity. This got Weathers thinking. If she was going to bring in a band with this kind of social awareness, she needed to make something of it.
Right about then, Weathers came across an article about services for homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula. And she learned there are upwards of 400 women who don’t have a place to call home.
“That same evening, there I was driving home,” she says, “to my nice house, knowing I was going to be safe and warm in my cozy bed, and yet realizing how many women would not. How many women would still be in their cars that night, or out in the elements, wishing, wanting, and anything but warm.”
That’s when Weathers launched her “Community Concert, benefiting homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula.” This Friday, November 13, at the Museum of Monterey, Alex Shirley will gather his bandmates, including guitarist Tracy Chesebrough, drummer John Tallon, steel pan and percussion player Cary Lowney, trumpet, keyboard and percussion player Bill Steacy and guitarist Tony Fusco to bring Jonah and the Whalewatchers to the dance floor.
“The more I’ve talked to people of this community,” says Weathers, “the more I’ve realized how concerned we are and yet in disbelief, really, that so many women are without homes. As a realtor, my tagline is ‘Connecting You to the Place You’ll Call Home.’ And so I thought, what if I could do that for this homeless population as well? It really hit me that I could play a role in helping these women find a place they could call home.”
Weathers is not alone. She contacted Dan Baldwin, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Monterey County. He put her in touch with Christine Dawson, who manages the Fund for Homeless Women. The Community Foundation calls this a field of interest fund established to support programs and services for homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula.
The fund is made up of contributions from community members who share a deep concern for the plight of homeless women, particularly the many older, single women who are in danger every night and for whom few options for safety and secure housing exist.
“We’re going to raise funds for the Hot Baths and Warm Beds campaign,” says Weathers, “which is part of the Fund for Homeless Women. The money we raise will be matched by Monterey County Gives, to support a program that works with local hotels to give women a night or two with a hot bath and a warm bed. This way, they can get some respite, and go back out into the world feeling good about themselves.”
In addition to her partnership with the Community Foundation, Weathers has found a generous outpouring from a caring community. Local wineries have donated wine to the event, and certified pourers will serve it. The community has stepped up to donate an array of enticing prizes for a drawing to be held throughout the evening. And Tacos Diana taco truck, a local favorite, whose motto is, “We cater; you enjoy the party,” will pull up to the Museum of Monterey, to bring an array of fresh-made food to hungry concert goers.
“There’s something really fun,” say Weathers, “about getting all dressed up to go to a reggae-infused dance concert and then line up outdoors to buy something from a food truck. I went through all kinds of ideas, but this seems to be fresh, fun and fit the theme of our event.”
So this weekend, as the weather continues to turn colder, come out and heat up the dance floor to Jonah and the Whalewatchers, sip something from stem, and grab fresh food to go from a food truck. Tickets are only $25 each, which includes one drink ticket; $15 for students and military. So far, it turns out Weathers is not the only one looking for the chance to dance. As people continue to purchase their event tickets online or make plans to buy tickets at the door, Weathers knows she will get her chance to dance, and homeless women will have a chance to get warm.
What: Community Concert, benefiting homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula.
Where: Museum of Monterey, 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey
When: Friday, November 13, at 7pm
Cost: $25 for adults, $15 for students and military, free for children under 12
Benefit: The Fund for Homeless Women; Hot Baths and Warm Beds campaign
Parking: The City of Monterey is offering free parking in the Waterfront lot to those who show their event wristband.
For more information:
Parking: http://monterey.org/en-us/Departments/Parking/Public-Parking-Garages-Lots
Questions: Gin Weathers 831-594-4752 gin@ginweathers.com
About the author
A fifth-generation Northern Californian, Lisa Crawford Watson has enjoyed a diverse career in business, education and writing. She lives with her family on the Monterey Peninsula, where her grandmother once lived and wrote. An adjunct writing instructor for CSU Monterey Bay and Monterey Peninsula College, Lisa is also a free-lance writer, who specializes in the genres of art & architecture, health & lifestyle, food & wine. She has published various books and thousands of feature articles and columns in local and national newspapers and magazines.
