Saturday, April 27, 8-10pm, Just North United Church of Christ [UCC], 2040 W. Henderson Rd.

Just North United Church of Christ is proud to present our third Concert for a Cause, headlined by national touring singer-songwriter R.J. Cowdery. In partnership with Temple Israel, this concert will benefit The Women’s Center, a local residential treatment program that provides addiction recovery for women and their children. Admission priority will be given to pregnant women, moms and newborns.

R.J. Cowdery, our headliner, has garnered accolades at Mountain Stage NewSong, Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, Wildflower! Arts and Music, Rocky Mountain Folk Festival, and Sisters Folk Festival. With a voice like butter, she sings lyrics that are sincere and plainspoken, inviting her listeners to lean in hard and come out the other side changed. Based in Columbus, she tours the U.S. and has appeared twice on the American Public Television series, “Songs at the Center,” and has been a featured act on TEDxColumbus.

Cantor Bat-Ami Moses has been a guest artist, prayer leader, and scholar-in-residence at synagogues throughout the country. A native of Los Angeles, she has performed with other renowned Jewish artists, including Billy Jonas, Dan Nichols and Rick Recht. It is Cantor Moses’ passion and vision to elevate people to their own prayer and healing through the languages of music and liturgy intertwined.

This concert is hosted by singer-songwriter Eric Gnezda, the creator and host of the PBS series “Songs at the Center” and a founder of Concerts for a Cause. As a singer-songwriter, he performs regularly at Nashville’s iconic venue for songwriters, The Bluebird Café, and is the recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition, joining Michael Feinstein (American Songbook), Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane), and Chip Davis (Mannheim Steamroller). He is an Emmy-nominated journalist.

Concerts for a Cause benefit social justice initiatives. “We’re pleased to be working with Temple Israel,” says Just North UCC Pastor Eric Williams. “This concert seeks to raise our awareness and support for young mothers who are caught up in the opioid crisis of central Ohio. This evening will be a time of spirited music and honest telling, in a place that is welcoming of everyone of goodwill, in a gathering of shared concern and persistent hope.”

The Women’s Center provides addiction recovery and mental health services to adult women with substance abuse disorder who live in Franklin County. The majority of these women are below poverty level, and many have been victims or human trafficking or domestic violence.

The Women’s Center is a residential treatment program of Maryhaven, one of Central Ohio’s largest and most comprehensive behavioral health and addiction treatment centers.

The Women’s Center houses approximately 36 women and their children, providing a safe and healthy residential environment and offering special programs to benefit young mothers, including parenting classes and the Stable Cradle Program for healthy moms and newborns. The women receive therapy, counseling and tools that help them to restore their lives, sustain a life of recovery and rebuild a healthy family life.

Tickets are $20 general admission; $40 per family; kids 12 years old and younger are free. Tickets are available online and will be available at the door for cash or credit. Additional donations will also be accepted.