It’s a wonderful thing that each of us possesses varied talents and gifts. And it becomes a blessing when those talents are used for good.
That’s how it is with Jeremy and Maya Stepansky. When it was time for them to plan a service project for their Bar and Bat Mitzvah, their thoughts turned to what they enjoyed most: making music. As instrumentalists, song writers, and singers, the twins envisioned recording a CD to benefit homelessness, a cause close to their heart.
Having volunteered numerous times for Family Promise Essex (FPE) by serving meals and playing with the children, the Stepanskys understand that family homelessness is a reality that plays out right in their own community.
It came to be, then, that Jeremy and Maya chose the songs to include on the CD, some of which they wrote. From November 2011 to March 2012, they recorded all of the tracks in their living room-turned-recording studio. From start to finish, it is a thoroughly Jeremy and Maya production as they played all of the instruments, sang the vocals, designed the cover, produced, and even arranged every song.
Aptly titled “Notes from Home,” Jeremy and Maya are now distributing the CDs in exchange for donations of $15 or more to Family Promise Essex (and also to the International Rescue Committee for their work with displaced people), with the goal of raising $2,500 for each organization. They will gladly accept donation checks made out to FPE (and/or IRC).
Please mail donations to them at 172 Summit Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043; a CD will be sent for every donation received. Orders and inquiries can also be sent to them at jeremaya@comcast.net.
Jeremy and Maya say they hope their “living room project” will lead to more living rooms for others. FPE couldn’t agree more.
