Country star Jo Dee Messina had one big hope when she performed two free concerts last weekend: That her fans would make donations to a cause that's close to her heart.

Well, her fans came through — to the happy tune of more than $30,000, all of which will go to the Harvest Hands Community Development Corporation and its efforts to improve life for the citizens of South Nashville, Tennessee.

Follow up:

Messina, who spoke to Tonic about her passion for Harvest Hands in November, played two holiday shows at Nashville's Brentwood United Methodist Church on Dec. 5. A total of 3,000 fans showed up, plus another 1,200 who viewed the shows live on Ustream. (The evening show is still available for viewing on Messina's website.)

Thanking her fans for giving this holiday season, Messina said in a statement, "I feel blessed to be able to use my gift of voice so that [Harvest Hands] can continue, not only to change lives by ‘doing,’ but by being an example to the rest of us on how to truly make a difference."

Messina will be lending her voice to another cause on Dec. 10, participating in a concert at Green's Grocery in Leiper's Fork, Tenn., to benefit the Montessori School of Franklin.

In January, Messina — who already has nine #1 country singles under her belt — will release a new single, "That's God." Her first new album in five years, Unmistakable, is expected to be released in spring 2010 on Curb records.