WKTV Staff
Early this month, Dégagé Ministries — a group with its mission “to reflect the love of Christ by building relationship and offering programs that foster dignity and respect” — hosted its ‘Talent from the Heart’ at St. Cecilia Music Center, with music and other performances by people living homeless or otherwise in Grand Rapids’ Heartside neighborhood.
Degage’s patrons organized, hosted and performed a free community showcase that included poetry reading, singing, music and more, all performed by Heartside artists.
“A performer said, ‘We are homeless but first we are people.’ This is why this event was important,” Brooke Jevicks, development director for Dégagé Ministries, said to WKTV. “We are all created equal in the Lord’s image. We wanted the opportunity to showcase the people we serve and their talents. We wanted an opportunity to bring everybody together as a community. We wanted to celebrate that we are community, all of us, together.”
The May 9 event was prompted by a donation of a grand piano from Dottie Johnson, Jevicks said. The piano now sits in the Open Door Women’s Center, where the women have the opportunity to gather together, play music, and “sing joyfully as they build community among each other.”
The event was made possible by the Steve and Susan Rechner family, Jevicks added.
For more information on Dégagé Ministries visit degageministries.org .
