The Los Angeles Dream Center has launched a “Home for the Holidays” program which will provide fully furnished living spaces to 12 homeless mothers and their children by Christmas Eve as well as renovate 20 other rooms for families already living in the building.  The center has converted the former "Queen of Angels Hospital" into dorm-style living spaces and will give each family a private room as well as a shared bathroom, family room and play room.  They will also serve three meals a day at the campus cafeteria.  Hundreds of mothers have been put on a waiting list, but The Dream Center’s goal is to build more living spaces so that in the future no family in need of a home will be waitlisted.
 
Last week, KKLA-FM partnered with The Dream Center to conduct a three hour telethon which aired on December 15th.  Due to the show’s success, the station re-aired it on December 16th, 17th and 18th.  The radio segments encouraged very generous donations after an anonymous donor offered to match every gift of $100 or more.  The first six people to donate a one-time gift of $2,500, will join radio hosts Lara Scott, Frank Pastore and co-founder of the Los Angeles Dream Center, Pastor Matthew Barnett for a special lunch and tour of The Dream Center complex.
 
The 12 single mothers, who were chosen from a waitlist of over 200 applicants, each have children under the age of five.  They were chosen according to the severity of their case and their immediate need for a home.  Some of these women have newborn babies and have been sleeping in their cars. Many of these mothers and their children are escaping severe domestic violence and have no one to turn to for help. Some of these moms were working, but have been devastated by layoffs that have been effecting so many people this holiday season.  The Dream Center hopes to provide a safe place for these women and their children to live and get back on their feet.
 
About the women who hope to live at The Dream Center
 
An entire floor of The Dream Center is devoted to housing single moms and their children but there are so many more families in need of a home.  Here are a few stories of the women who hope to call The Dream Center their home.
 
Lily came to The Dream Center in 2006 to be a part of the Women's Dream Center Discipleship (DCD). That year she worked on breaking addictions and getting her life back on track. She successfully completed the program and began a new life for herself. She became pregnant and now has a 2 year old child. Because the economy is so difficult, her employers had to cut back her hours. This pay cut has not allowed her to pay for the basic things she needs for her and her family. She’s now on the wait-list for housing at The Dream Center.
 
Renee is a single mom of two children. After fleeing a domestic violent situation, she has been looking for safety and has not had time to find a stable job to support her kids. She hopes to come to The Dream Center because it will be a safe place for her children. She plans on finishing her last two years old of college and work in the field of criminal justice.
 
Rhonda has been on The Dream Center Family Housing waiting list since July of this year. She and her three children fled the state they were living in because of abuse. She came to Los Angeles in hopes that her aunt could house them until she found a stable place. Her aunt opened her home, but has not been able to help in the way she had hoped to. This left Rhonda and her three children with nowhere to go. It was at this time that she called The Dream Center.
 
About The Los Angeles Dream Center
 
Founded in 1994, The Dream Center is a round-the-clock sanctuary for homeless families, addicts, abused women and children, victims of human trafficking, and many others. Through its numerous outreach programs, The Dream Center feeds over 40,000 people per month and houses more than 500 people daily, meeting them with love and a helping hand at their greatest point of need. The Dream Center provides food, housing, clothing, life skills training, education, job training and numerous resources through its 273 programs and outreaches.
 
*To donate, please call (213) 273-7100 <tel:%28213%29%20273-7100> , or visit www.dreamcenter.org <http://www.dreamcenter.org>  and click the “Home for the Holidays” banner at the top of the page*

Acclaimed modern hymn writers and recording artists Keith & Kristyn Getty will bring their “Joy – An Irish Christmas" Tour to 15 cities (18 concerts) around the U.S. this season, culminating with an already sold-out performance at Nashville’s prestigious Schermerhorn Symphony Center December 19.
 
The tour kicked-off November 27 at Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego and will also play to sellout crowds in Indianapolis and Kalamazoo, Michigan, in addition to stops in Washington, D.C.; Dallas; Memphis; and Oklahoma City; among other markets.
 
Joining the couple is their acclaimed Irish Christmas band, including noted musicians Fionan de Barra of Broadway’s Riverdance, Jeff Taylor (Vince Gill, The Chieftains), Uilleann piper Patrick D'Arcy, and Dave Cleveland (Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace), among others.  
 
Keith & Kristyn Getty’s debut holiday recording, Joy – An Irish Christmas (Gettymusic), a collection of modern hymns, traditional carols, reels and jigs inspired by the couple’s homeland, released last month to critical acclaim and was recently named in USA Today's "Glisten Up For Sonic Gifts" feature among "Other Notable New Holiday Releases" (November 25).  Produced by Grammy Award-winner Phil Naish (Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace), with orchestral arrangements by renowned composer J.A.C. Redford (Avatar, The Help), Crosswalk.com calls the recording “…a fresh perspective on the theological significance of the season,” while Worship Leader magazine says, “…Joy is a top pick for both personal and congregational worship.”  The album's debut single, "Jesus, Joy Of The Highest Heaven (A Children's Carol)," is the most-added song on Billboard's Soft AC/Inspirational National Airplay chart, according to the publication's December 10 issue.
 
In Christ Alone, Keith & Kristyn Getty’s 2007 stateside debut, featured the Celtic-flavored title-cut co-penned by Keith Getty and acclaimed British songwriter Stuart Townend; an instant classic that has been recorded by numerous artists and quickly taken root in churches around the globe.  Awaken The Dawn, the Gettys’ 2009 follow-up, further established their modern hymns to audiences both in the U.S. and abroad.  They have shared their music at Franklin Graham crusades, the GMA Dove Awards, and performances at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, among other noted platforms and international tours.     
 
For a complete “Joy – An Irish Christmas" Tour itinerary, visit www.gettymusic.com.

On Dec. 11, Dream Records and One Moment Productions will be combining their efforts to create their first highly anticipated end of the year party with some of their top bands leading the venue……it is going to be huge!


Performing at the event will be some of Dream Records’ most notable bands including Press Play, Marlene Brehm, Nicole Croteau, The Sanctuary and Jonathan Thulin.  With Jonathan Thulin and Press Play albums already released and seeing critical acclaim, look out for big releases from Marlene Brehm (4/10), Nicole Croteau (3/13) and The Sanctuary (1/10).  All of the bands will be playing their popular songs along with some never before heard songs for the audience and will also be performing your favorite classic Christmas tunes of the holiday season.


The Dream Records Christmas Party will start at 6:00pm PST at Dream’s venue,. Dream 118 in Simi Valley, Ca. where the venue will be sponsored by One Moment Productions, K-LIFE 89.5 FM, HearItFirst.com and NH1, which is New Hope Christian Fellowship’s Saturday night service in Simi Valley.


Tickets for the event will be $12 each and are now available online at http://onemomentproductions.eventbrite.com <http://onemomentproductions.eventbrite.com/> . Concert-goers are asked to bring donated canned goods and clothing that will go to help feed and clothe the homeless through New Hope Christian Fellowship’s food and clothing ministry.


This event will be one of the biggest end-of-the-year celebrations in Dream Records’ history and if you would like to be a part of this special occasion, buy your tickets as soon as you can because they will sell out fast!


Here’s the address to show: 2251 Ward Ave. Simi Valley, CA 93065


For more information about the sponsors go to:


K-LIFE 89.5 FM – www.klife.org <http://www.klife.org/>


NH1 – www.newhopewestcoast.org <http://www.newhopewestcoast.org/>


Hear It First – www.hearitfirst.com <http://www.hearitfirst.com/>


One Moment Productions – www.facebook.com/onemomentproductions <http://www.facebook.com/onemomentproductions>

Multi-talented and reigning Dove Award “Artist of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year,” Chris August is adding holiday cheer to his hit debut album, No Far Away. Beginning today, November 21, a special Christmas edition of the Dove Award winning album will be available for purchase at all digital retailers. The album will include two new, original Christmas tracks, “Come Now Our King” and “Jesus, Savior,” both penned by August.
 
Fervent Records’ Chris August is quickly becoming a favorite in the CCM genre. With an impressive sweep at the 42nd Annual Dove Awards, he earned awards for “New Artist of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year,” adding him to an elite group of only three artists in the history of the show who have received both awards. He also claimed the nod for “Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year” for his debut album No Far Away that he co-produced with acclaimed producer Ed Cash. The album delivered August’s debut single “Starry Night,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian/AC chart in September and stayed put for six weeks as well as the hit follow-up single “7x70,” launching this self-taught pianist, guitarist, and producer as an artist in his own right. Featuring a resonant collection of soulful pop-rock sing-alongs, touching balladry, and heart-on-sleeve lyricism, No Far Away has become the best-selling New Artist project released in 2010. A native of Dallas, TX, August previously toured as the keyboard player and opening act for pop sensation Ashlee Simpson and worked with Ryan Cabrera, Brian McKnight, and Jessica Simpson before shifting his focus to a solo career.

?Dove Award winning group for “Christmas Album of the Year,” Big Daddy Weave is bringing on the Holiday cheer with their first Christmas tour. The “Christ is Come” Christmas Tour, presented by World Vision will kick off in Elkhart, IN on December 8 and will include soulful new artist Dara Maclean. Tour details and ticket information are available now at www.BigDaddyWeave.com.

“We were guests on a Christmas tour two years ago and experienced an excitement and feeling that was different than playing at other times of the year,” said Big Daddy Weave’s Mike Weaver. “For our own tour, we’re excited about encouraging people with the Christmas message of Emmanuel, God With Us.  Some people right now are feeling that no one is on their side.  We want them to leave this concert knowing that they are not alone, that the feeling of ‘comfort and joy’ can be theirs all year long.”

Big Daddy Weave recently released The Ultimate Collection, which spans the group’s hit 10-year-career and includes their current Top 5 hit single “Love Come To Life.” The group formed when the band members were in college at the University of Mobile and stepped into the spotlight in 2002 with the release of their second album One and Only, which debuted in SoundScan’s Christian Top 5 — the highest debut for any new artist that year. Since then, the evolution of their career has been swift with Big Daddy Weave scoring three No. 1 singles and becoming a top draw at concerts across the country.

Dara Maclean grew up outside Fort Worth, Texas, in a family that encouraged her love for music and ministry from her earliest days. She began singing at age 8, then went on to lead worship and actively pursue youth ministry. Dara continues to serve with her family in their local church. Heavily influenced by Lauryn Hill and everything from the Motown era as well by contemporaries like Adele, Natasha Bedingfield, Marc Broussard and Ray LaMontagne, she incorporates the funk and soul she grew up loving into her music, bringing forth a uniquely fresh and pure new sound. For additional information on Dara Maclean, visit www.DaraMaclean.com.