Edwin Hawkins, the legend, performer, songwriter, teacher extraordinaire. First recognized throughout the world for his million-selling performance of "O, Happy Day" (1969), the biggest selling Gospel record in history, credited by many as the founder of contemporary Gospel music.

Tramaine Hawkins joined her ex-brother-in-law Edwin, and the Edwin Hawkins Singers, to record the People In Need (PIN) song. Her soulful rendering adds a powerfully emotional dimension to the recording as she continues to be one of the most potent influences and voices in Gospel music today.

NATURAL DISASTERS LEAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND HOMELESS
In the recent months hurricanes have ripped apart people’s lives and left hundreds of thousands homeless. As fate would have it, The Benefit Network was in the process of remixing the PIN song for release this month, in preparation for a traditional appeal during the Thanksgiving / Christmas period. Now, following the recent tragedies and devastation wrought by these hurricanes, this appeal is even more urgently needed, not only for our traditional homeless population but also for homeless hurricane survivors who will continue to need our support in the coming months, perhaps years.

Washington Post, October 14, 2005:
“THE NUMBERS are nearly unprecedented in this country: In the wake of hurricanes Rita and Katrina, perhaps 500,000 to 900,000 people are homeless and likely to remain so for months, if not years. Some have been financially wiped out; others cannot afford to repair their damaged homes. Still others cannot return to the Gulf Coast because their jobs no longer exist. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has made huge efforts and spent billions of dollars trying to assist those with nowhere to go.

Unfortunately, those efforts have so far been wasteful, ham-handed and oddly self-defeating. Over the past several weeks the agency has rented overpriced cruise ships on which few evacuees wanted to live; has promised to spend billions on trailer parks destined to become dead-end "FEMAvilles" far from urban centers and jobs; and is still paying $8.3 million a day in hotel bills.” more

For more info: http://www.benefitnetwork.org