The folk singing duo Charlie King and Karen Brandow, based in Massachusetts, will perform in Rock Island Friday, March 8, as part of their midwestern tour. The event will be at 7 pm at Broadway Presbyterian Church, 710 23rd St., and is a fundraiser for Oaks of Mamre Catholic Worker House in Davenport and Palomares Social Justice Center, which has an office in Moline.
During intermission and before and after the performance, beautiful Guatemalan weavings will be shown and offered for sale. Jeanne Nakamaru, president of the Centro Maya Project to help children and families with disabilities in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala, will be in charge of the sale of these items, made by women and families that she knows and considers friends.
Charlie King is a singer and songwriter who has performed around the country, and in some other countries, since the 1960's. His songs are about peace and social justice issues, and he has provided the musical sound tracks for many political movements. Karen Brandow has performed with him for over 10 years, and brings a repertoire of Spanish songs from her years doing human rights work in Guatemala. She sings and plays the guitar.
Oaks of Mamre Catholic Worker has provided shelter and meals for people who would otherwise be homeless, for the past few years. Michael Gayman runs it with the help of other volunteers. Palomares Center provides help for immigrants, also on a volunteer basis. Connie Barrett is chair of the board, Svetlana Schreiber is legal advisor, and the group also welcomes volunteer help.
A donation of $8 in advance or $10 at the door is requested for the concert. Call 309 786 6944 for more information, or email Margaret Thomas: magmthomas@gmail.com
For more information on the benefiting organizations, see the websites: oakscatholicworker.com and palomaressjc.org, as well as centromayaproject.org.
