, decided to donate 100 percent of the Christmas Jam proceeds to Habitat for Humanity years ago because they could see exactly where the money was going . They go back each year and meet the families they helped build homes for . Singer Joan Osborne echoed Haynes ' thoughts . `` It 's a scary time . A lot of people are losing their homes so it 's good to be able to do something that helps with that specific problem , '' she said . Going into 2008 's shows , which were held December 12 and 13 , the Christmas Jam had raised more than $ 665,000 for Asheville 's Habitat For Humanity . The money has gone into building 12 houses in Enka Hills , a wooded community surrounded by mountains on a street the organization appropriately named Warren Haynes Drive . -LRB- In 2005 Habitat also built a house in the New Orleans Musicians Village . -RRB- The Thursday before the show , Haynes presented the key to a new home to single mother Suzie Cromer and her 8-year-old daughter . `` Meeting the families and seeing the work that Habitat 's doing with our
ASHEVILLE , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In 1988 , a relatively unknown rock and blues guitarist named Warren Haynes got some of his friends together to play music in Asheville , North Carolina . It was just an opportunity for local musicians to jam during the holidays , the one time of year they were all in town together . Warren Haynes ' good work has been noted by the street named after him . The artists also wanted to give back to the community , so they gave the money raised by their show to various charities . The tradition has continued . Now celebrating its 20th anniversary , Haynes ' Christmas Jam has evolved into an epic annual event for the musicians , fans , and particularly Habitat for Humanity . `` We need Habitat For Humanity more now than ever , with the whole mortgage crisis that put us where we are now , and the fact that Habitat is about building homes for people that ca n't afford homes as opposed to lending money to people who ca n't afford homes , '' Haynes told CNN . Haynes and his wife , Stefani Scamardo