The Savannah VOICE Festival has long made community service and improvement a top priority through its outreach and education efforts. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Festival organizers and co-founders, Maria Zouves and Sherrill Milnes, believe that focus is more important than ever. In light of the obstacles and complications brought on by the catastrophic storm, SVF leaders are putting together a goodwill concert for the community to enjoy.

The concert – set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 at Christ Church Episcopal, 28 Bull St. in Savannah – is free and will be followed by a short reception featuring cookies and punch for all attendees. Originally, SVF had planned an Autumn VOICES fundraiser that evening, but after the hurricane, Zouves immediately realized the community was in need of encouragement, optimism and hope. She and other festival organizers were pleased to find themselves in a position to deliver those morale boosters in the form of beautiful music.

 “We love this beautiful, hospitable city and all of its residents. At a time like this, as people are dealing with stress and hardship while putting their lives and homes back together, we are happy to shine a ray of light into a very trying situation,” said Zouves, SVF executive director. “We invite the whole community to come enjoy a night of uplifting, wonderful music and good company while they take a much-needed break from the rebuilding tasks at hand.”

For more information about the Savannah VOICE Festival or the free goodwill concert, please visit www.savannahvoicefestival.org, email [email protected], or call 855.76.OPERA.