Arguably one of Bermuda’s best gospel choirs, the Seventh-day Adventist Mass Choir will literally ‘sing for supper’ tonight.The choir are hoping to raise funds for the church’s Feed the Needy Programme.The church serves free dinners twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays between 5.30pm and 6.30pm at the King Street Youth Centre.Programme director Melviena Musson has headed up the community programme for the past nine years. She said she’s seen a sharp rise this year in the number of people asking for a free meal.“This is the worst I have seen in all my years,” she said. “We’re seeing more everyday people with families are even coming in now with children for dinner.“What hurts me is I am now seeing hardworking men who are out of work. Now, more than ever, men in their 30s and 40s say they just cannot find a job. One man even told me last week that he has three children and nothing to eat.”And as the effects of the recession take an increasing toll, Ms Musson urged members of the community who are in a position to help to chip in. “We have asked church members and people in general to buy a few extra cans of non-perishable foods when they go shopping,” she said.The food can be dropped off at the church’s youth centre in Hamilton on Wednesdays from 1pm to 5pm.“Everybody’s having a hard time. Some church members are not working but many will not ask for help because sometimes pride gets in the way,” said Ms Musson.“A few people who come here twice a week have told me that after they pay their rent and light bill they have no money left to buy food and these are people with young children.”The money raised from the concert will go directly to the SDA Feed The Needy Programme. En Harmony, The Trio and several other well-known gospel singers will perform along with the Seventh-day Adventist choir. John Woolridge, who wrote ‘Proud to be Bermudian’, will perform the song with the original singers.Ms Musson said: “I would really love for people to support it because the need is so great out there, people are hurting.“With the recession, everything has been affected. We need help to meet the increasing demand.”SDA community worker and concert organiser Gerald Burgess has spent the past three months preparing for the show.“Our mass choir is one of the best gospel choirs in Bermuda and En Harmony, a group of young Bermudian boys who sing gospel, have been making quite a name for themselves in recent months.”Commenting on the rise in the number of people struggling to buy groceries, Mr Burgess said: “This is not about us, this is about helping others.“We used to see a lot of young men. Now I see entire families coming to eat husbands and wives, single mothers with children and that really touches my heart. We have even seen a few men come in asking for a plate of food to take home to their children.”He continued: “That tells me the recession is really hitting home for a lot of people in Bermuda; they are really struggling. You can see it in the numbers of people reaching out for help.“We are not asking for something for nothing. We are offering top-class gospel entertainment, in return for funds to fund our food programme. Things are tight all around the table and we need help to help others.”Ms Musson said she was moved to help others because of her own childhood.“My father died from cancer when I was very young and my mom had ten children so I know what it is to struggle. I’m the fourth child out of ten and it has just become part of me to give back to the community because of the people who helped my mother and family when I was little.“I’m urging any and everyone who has a heart to support this, or make a donation because folks are hurting and we need more people to help. By helping others God will truly bless us, I believe that with all my heart.”Tonight’s concert will be held at 8.30pm at the SDA Youth Centre on King Street in Hamilton.