By Nancy Raskauskas
The Entertainer | Posted: Thursday, October 9, 2008 12:00 am
'Riverfront Blues' to raise money for Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center
CORVALLIS - On any given afternoon in downtown Corvallis, you can find RJ Baynum Jr. sitting on the sidewalk near the intersection of Second Street and Madison Avenue.
More than likely, he has his hat on the sidewalk and a harmonica, or as he calls it, "a harp" in his mouth.
"I play for my supper," he said on a recent afternoon in between tunes.
When he's done playing for the day, Baynum makes a long trek north to a makeshift camp along the railroad tracks where he sleeps.
It's a hard life made a bit easier by the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center located near Second Street and Washington Avenue.
With no overnight shelters currently open in Corvallis, Baynum said, he really depends on the drop-in center.
"Very much so, it helps out with food especially," he said.
The drop-in center provides lunches and bicycle fix-ups.
But, according to Baynum, it's not just the food, but the camaraderie. The center is a central meeting place that makes it possible to check up on other homeless friends.
"We're a loose-knit family," Baynum said. "The center, it kind of keeps us sane. It's food, a phone, a ride to rehab."
Vernon Huffman, who volunteers as a bicycle mechanic at the center agrees.
"I came here (to Corvallis) in February to live," Huffman said. "And I guess I was homeless for a time, I even stayed in the shelter for a little while."
"I couch surfed quite a bit," he added. "I didn't really think of myself as homeless."
Huffman eventually found work at nearby Cyclotopia, but is still grateful to the center.
Both Baynum and Huffman, who plays drums, will be among the performers at the "Riverfront Blues Show" at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Sunnyside Up Cafe, 116 N.W. Third St., Corvallis.
The concert, part of the Second Saturdays Benefit Concerts for a Better World, will raise money for the drop-in shelter. A donation of $5 is suggested at the door.
Other performers include Mike Imperio, guitar and vocals; DJ Rodriguez, guitar and vocals; and Ellie VanDevelder, on guitar and vocals.
Ten-year-old VanDevelder became friends with the other musicians while hanging out with her father, Paul, during his volunteer shifts at the temporary homeless shelter last year.
Baynum is one of several musicians who inspired and taught VanDevelder to play guitar, jamming together in kitchen.
"She's gung-ho to listen and to play and to practice," Baynum said about VanDevelder. "She's a little Bob Dylan."
Baynum hopes that the concert will drum up some more support for the drop-in center and another temporary homeless shelter for this winter.
"I think people are somewhat afraid of the homeless," Baynum said. "But, they're everyday people just having a problem."
Baynum said when he's really playing he can feel the music in his heart. "If you dig me, you're going to feel it, too," he said.
To hear a podcast of RJ Baynum playing harmonica, see www.gazettetimes.com and click on 'GT Extras' and 'Podcasts.'
Check it out
"Riverfront Blues Show," 6 p.m., Sunnyside Up Cafe, 116 N.W. Third St., Corvallis. Suggested donation: $5, benefits Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center. Also, Mayor Charlie Tomlinson will give a short talk followed by a film by Ellie VanDevelder.
For information about the drop-in center, call Aleita at 740-3235. For more information about the Second Saturdays Benefit Concerts for a Better World, call Gretchen at 752-4242.
