Old Town Yoga Studio will host Karma Yoga: A Class for a Cause on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m. There is no set price for the class, but all donations are welcome and will benefit local charity The Matthews House.

The class is an all-levels yoga class open to the community. No experience with yoga is necessary, and refreshments will be served during the class.

The proceeds will go to The Matthews House, which is a local organization working to empower youth, strengthen families and build community. The Matthews House works with at-risk youth and families to insure they have resources to be successful in life.

The charity event at Old Town Yoga Studio is a new event, but it is the start of a series, according to yoga instructor Wendy Phillips who came up with the idea and organized the event. Phillips plans to do other karma yoga nights and donate to other charities.

The Matthews House serves the community in several different ways. The organization provides experiential education for kids and preventative programs among other things.

“A lot of families we are working with are in crisis, so they may be struggling with house issues, or employment issues or education. There’s a variety of things going on in their life,” said Mary Ericson, The Matthews House development director. “We work one on one with them to make sure they have the support system that they need and they can figure out a path to success.”

According to Ericson, The Matthews House gives children the opportunity to do rock climbing, sports activities, art classes, music classes and other programs. The organization also focuses on preventative help for the community. These programs are targeted at families and youth that are not in crisis but are at risk. The Matthews house does this by helping people find housing or helping them get a job.

The Matthews House offers classes at its educational center. Classes include administrative bookkeeping and apprenticeships for electricians and plumbers.

According to Ericson, the yoga event is a unique fundraiser for The Matthews House.

“We have never been contacted by the yoga studio or any other yoga studio,” Ericson said. “I’m not familiar with other organizations that have had a fundraiser like this, so it’s a cool niche. We are excited.”

There are currently only 12 people committed to attending the event, and with a class capacity of 40, there is plenty of room for more people to join. People planning to attend the event can RSVP at www.oldtownyoga.com.