Martin Short to Appear in Homes with Hope Benefit

Homelessness is nothing to joke about. With award-winning comedian and actor headlining Homes with Hope's upcoming benefit, though, there is sure to be an abundance of laughter as the community raises monies to help alleviate this serious plight that affects even those living in affluent Fairfield County. 

“Stand Up for Homes with Hope: An Evening with Martin Short” will take place at the Westport Country Playhouse on Saturday, Sept. 24. The festivities begin at 7 p.m.

“It's a spectacular organization,” said Short. The 61-year old, Canadian-born actor, comedian and writer is best known for creating 
hilarious characters such as Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley for Second 
City Television and Saturday Night Live. He also performed memorable roles in the two “Father of the Bride” films, co-starring with Steve Martin. He also joined Martin, another Saturday Night Live veteran on the comedic film “The Three Amigos.”

Short said that Glick and Grimley, as well as a slew of other interesting personalities he created for stage and screen, will be sure to make an appearance at the Westport benefit.

All proceeds from Short's one-man, multimedia variety show will support Homes with Hope's programs and services, including the Gillespie Center and Hoskins' Place, temporary emergency shelters for men and women;  a six-unit housing facility for single mothers, a 19-unit permanent supportive shelter, a 10-unit housing complex at Hales 
Court and a 5-unit supportive housing unit on Fair Street in Norwalk.

“It's going to be 'A Party with Marty,'” Short said. “I'm going to sing, dance, play piano, do some improv. There's going to be a lot going on. Picture my stand up routine featuring all of my characters. That's what's going to be going on.”

Short also noted that people will be pulled from the audience to interact with his characters onstage. 

Jeffrey Wieser, president and chief executive officer of Homes With Hope, is delighted to have Short take center stage at this season's 
fundraiser. When looking at available entertainers, Wieser was excited to learn that Short majored in social work at college.

“Martin Short also happens to be one of my personal favorite performers of all time,” Wieser added. “We are inviting everyone in the community to come out and laugh for a cause that typically doesn't have much to laugh about. We will use all of the proceeds to help our neighbors in need.”

The Homes with Hope Gala begins at 7 p.m. with appetizers prepared by a dash of salt Caterers and a silent auction. The live auction begins at 7:30 p.m.; the performance is at 8:30 p.m.

Ticket sales have been steady. With an operating cash budget of $1.2
million, Wieser said, “We need all of the help we can get.”

Given the current economic climate, donations decreased significantly 
in the past couple of years. In fact, two years ago, Homes with Hope 
had “a pretty big deficit,” Wieser said. “This year, in talking to other non profit groups, it seems like things are bouncing back a little. This year our goal has been to just break even.”

Wieser pointed out that all of its programs are filled to capacity so the
 need for the programs offered by Homes with Hope has not diminished. “It's always a question of how many people we have to turn away,” he added.

Maryellen Estrada, M.A., program director of the Gillespie Center and Hoskins' Place said that, more than anything else, money is needed to help the organization operating efficiently. She said that while all of the physical donations and volunteerism is greatly appreciated and most welcome, financial contributions are the most in demand. “I'm 
constantly astounded by how generous this community is but what we
 need are people to write checks, even if it's for $5,” she said. 

On the front line of the homelessness issue in Fairfield County, Estrada interacts daily with people such as “Cary,” a resident of the Gillespie Center. Cary, 65, and former Westport resident, spend four months at the Norwalk Shelter before moving to the Gillespie Center more than a month ago. A self-described lover of the outdoors, Cary lived for 24 years in a camper in Fairfield County's woods. He enjoys the freedom that comes with working at odd jobs only when he needs cash to purchase food.

During his time in the woods, Cary appreciated
 not having to worry about paying rent or utility bills. Realizing that he yearned to see more of the country, though, Cary sold his camper and purchased a small Honda that would transport him for the next three years to various venues, including sugar cane plantations and sheep ranches, across the United States. Cary then took a more traditional job as a security guard and lived with mother in Massachusetts. Though he doesn't feel he has a substance abuse problem, as some of the other Gillespie Center residents, Cary admitted that his was his love for vodka that instigated his mother evicting him from her residence. This led to his first stint in a homeless shelter.

Referring to Westport's Gillespie Center, Cary said, “This is the best
 shelter I've been in. I think this is the kind of place designed to
 show alcoholics and drug addicts how nice life could be without that 
stuff.”

According to Estrada, there is a lot of structure at the Gillespie Center. 
“There is no bending of rules, ever,” she emphasized. All clients 
must adhere to mandates, such as no alcohol or drug use. They
 participate in daily chores and are responsible for maintaining daily 
hygiene routines, doing their own laundry, including the sheets and
 towels provided by the Center, and paying the $8/night fee.

“The goal here is the same for everyone, to end their homelessness, ”
Estrada said. “The path, though, that you take to achieve that goal
 is different.”

Estrada pointed out that the amount of time a client stayed at the Westport shelter varied. “We are an emergency shelter but a person's stay here is dependent upon what the barriers are to eliminating the 
homelessness,” she said.

Tickets for “An Evening with Martin Short” are $200 -$150. There is also a limited number of show-only tickets available for $75. To make a reservation, go to the box office at the Westport Country Playhouse 
at www.westportplayhouse.org or to the Homes with Hope website at www.hwhct.org.