A local jazz vocalist has for 10 years used her talent to raise awareness and money for one of Philadelphia’s oldest safe havens for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Mary Ellen Desmond, who has been performing as a jazz vocalist for 20 years in Philadelphia, created the “Comfort & Joy Holiday Jazz Concert” at the Church of St. Luke & The Epiphany in 2004 to raise funds for St. Luke’s Hospitality Center, which ministers to people affected by HIV/AIDS. This year, Desmond will celebrate the 10th year of the concert with a CD to complement the event and continue to raise money for the Hospitality Center. Desmond, a longtime parishioner of St. Luke’s, said the Hospitality Center is largely sustained through community donations, and she conceived of the concert as a way to give back for all of the ministry’s work. “It was a Thanksgiving Day service and I was sitting there thinking about and reflecting on what was going on in the world and what a great space the chapel offers for performances and thinking about who I could help out, and my thoughts went to the Hospitality Center,” she said. “I lost many friends to the disease. The center is sustained by contributions, and they don’t get much in financial help.” The event, which typically brings in up to 100 guests, is a one-hour concert that features various jazz treatments of familiar holiday songs and seasonal songs. Desmond said she tries to keep things fresh every year. “I try and mix it up and include some tunes that are a little spiritual and some that are familiar,” she said. Desmond said supporters have been pushing her to record a holiday CD for several years, and she is taking that opportunity this year. The CD, “Comfort & Joy,” will include an array of holiday and seasonal selections by Desmond and accompanying musicians. To promote interest in the effort and fundraise for recording costs, Desmond signed up for an Indiegogo account with the goal of raising $20,000 to cover costs. So far, Desmond has raised $5,826 for the CD and has until Sept. 30 to reach her goal. “My goal is $20,000 and the reason I set it that high is if I make $10,000, that will help me cover some of the cost and the Hospitality Center gets 10 percent of what is raised on that site,” she said. The Hospitality Center was created in 1989 to provide a supportive environment for the HIV/AIDS community. The center offers an array of programs for people affected by the disease and also rents space to HIV/AIDS organizations. Desmond said the organization’s work has been invaluable to the community. “They offer spiritual support and support for newly diagnosed. There is a men’s group that meets every Monday for luncheon and it is very powerful. They even work with other social workers and hospital workers, so they go beyond the St. Luke’s community.” For more information on Desmond’s CD fundraiser, visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/mary-ellen-desmond-comfort-joy-cd. This year’s concert will be held Dec. 15.