My involvement with WHYHunger can be summed up simply in a quote from Pete Seeger "good people, with live hearts, live minds, and live eyes.” - Joe D'Urso
It’s a privilege and a pleasure to work with WhyHunger. I make music because while "it doesn’t change the world - people do - sometimes music changes people” as Pete Seeger said. Indefensibly people go hungry for no shortage of food in our land but of a shortage of awareness, empathy and will on the part of those with the power to change this. Still it can be changed. Peace and democracy can only exist to the degree that we have economic justice and no one goes hungry.
No one deserves to be hungry or live in poverty and in order to bring this to a halt everyone needs to be involved. Giving back allows me to pay it forward in hopes that someone will receive it knowing that they are supported even in their darkest time.
"WhyHunger's Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program speaks close to home for me. Being raised in Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, now recognized as the poorest state in the US, there are still many people who go to bed hungry every night. My hope is to continue to use my voice to raise awareness and do everything I can to make sure that our people are not forgotten..."
Why Hunger?
Because I’m a Mom, community organizer and musician.
Because I believe in identifying hunger and poverty’s root causes, challenging those systems and paving the way to sustained change.
Because they are all about social justice, education, community and music, and so am I.
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“Each day, most of us take regular meals as a given and yet there are still so many people that are unable to feed themselves, their families, their communities. WhyHunger not only provides this basic need directly, but provides resources to help communities create sustainable nutrition. It is an amazing feeling to be part of an organization that meets such a fundamental need.”
"We worked with WhyHunger on last year's tour and invited everyone to help us do our small part to help feed America. They are a great organization and we are proud to work with them." (Chicago's Lee Loughnane)
Photo credit: Danny Clinch
It breaks my heart to see so many go without a meal. Its a true reminder to be grateful. There is an abundance of food on this planet, yet so many are starving. No one in this world deserves to go without something to eat. Its important to me that the less fortunate know we care about them! Everyone, everywhere matters and its time we come together and pay it forward.
“WhyHunger is a major part of my life and has been for as long as I can remember. As a long-time board member and volunteer, I am privileged to be part of the visionary leadership role WhyHunger takes in fighting hunger. Intellectually, our programs stimulate me; spiritually, our work inspires me and keeps me going; and musically, being part of Artists Against Hunger and Poverty links me with a vibrant, committed community of fellow artist-activists.”
I heard Bill Ayres as a guest DJ on E Street Radio on Sirius & was blow away by what he said about hunger in America. It feels like the hunger crisis in America is accepted or just plain ignored so it’s exciting for me to know that WhyHunger is there to help people in need find food & resources as well as offer support & guidance to artists who want to make a difference.
WhyHunger first caught my attention in 2015 when I was invited by Manasha and Keelin Garcia, founders of the Jerry Garcia Foundation, to perform music for the ‘Imagine There’s No Hunger’ benefit at the Hard Rock Café in San Francisco. The concert featured my band, Rainbow Full of Sound, with special guest Bob Weir. It was an honor to participate as an artist with such an amazing group of people helping people, and to be even a small part of John Lennon’s Vision! Maybe I am a Dreamer, but when we spread the kindness it creates a #RippleEffect
We are so proud to be involved with such a transformative organization. WhyHunger continues to make a real difference in communities and lead the fight against hunger. Their spirit, tireless enthusiasm and vision inspire us to continue to get involved.. and in the words of Harry Chapin "When in doubt, do something"
"Working with WhyHunger has given me the opportunity to get involved with both my local community and the world in a tangible way. I think issues of hunger and poverty are important to my friends, fans, and peers, but it's often overwhelming to know how to help. WhyHunger makes it easy for us to connect and make a real difference."
“As a singer, I understand how important nutrition is to my body; to my instrument. It breaks my heart to know there are so many people in our world struggling to find a meal. This is why I am honored to partner with WhyHunger, and to use my platform as an artist to help initiate change and make a difference.”
Brooklyn Queen
As a traveling musician, I have a platform and a social and moral responsibility to raise awareness and funds for community based organizations that combat the ever growing and completely solvable problem of hunger and poverty. Food banks were an essential resource for my own family and blessing in my life growing up. I will never forget that kindness and humility. Now, it makes me so proud to give something back.
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“It's easy to feed the hungry once and forget about them tomorrow. WhyHunger tackles the bigger issue head on - teaching people to feed themselves and advocating at the community level so that hungry people can help themselves. I'm lucky enough to eat three square meals a day and so should everybody else. That's WhyHunger for me!”
"White Lightning" began in a garage (where else?) in Lodi, New Jersey in 1977. Drummer, and WCBS "Chopper 880" reporter, Tom Kaminski says: "We are honored to be part of Artists Against Hunger And Poverty. Our friends at WhyHunger are on the front lines of the battle against hunger, a battle that rages every day right in our own neighborhoods. They help connect people to the nutritious food they need with a sense of dignity and hope. We are proud to support WhyHunger in any way we can."
As ‘influencers’ and artists online it is our responsibility to ensure that ‘influence’ leaves a positive and productive mark on the world. WhyHunger acknowledges the artist’s capacity for serving as vessels for what the world needs to hear and employs their talents in a way that is revolutionary. I am simply proud to bring awareness to this wonderful organization and proud to know that we as artists are making a difference.
My career as a photographer has been a dream come true. I am excited and thankful to be able to use my work to give back to the community by joining forces with WhyHunger— I would have never imagined, back when I was 15 years old and sneaking my camera into concerts, that I would make a living out of doing this. It’s time to spread the word that founder Harry Chapin started and do what one can to help those in need.
In a world with so many hungry people, WhyHunger is a beacon of hope.I am so proud to be a long-time supporter and Board member of this wonderful organization.
Artist Name: PATH P
(Stands for: Positioned At The Highest Point)
Quote about WhyHunger:
As an artist, I feel a personal responsibility to create art that’s community and humanity minded. To tell the stories of the people that need to be amplified. In that, my involvement with WhyHunger and full on support of the mission to eradicate hunger and poverty in America & worldwide is without question. I’m a stand for a transformed world & the best way to transform the world is to get to the heart of the problem and create palpable solutions to better humanity, from food security to social equity and beyond.
Website: www.pathpmusic.com
I strongly believe no one should ever go to bed hungry, and I'm thankful I have the power to make a difference. I look forward to working with WhyHunger and my amazing Whitesiders to eliminate the amount of hunger and poverty in the world
As a band we make music to inspire & bring positivity into people's lives. We have a strong message that we write & sing about. We felt it was time to take action on that message & actually do something about it. That's why we chose to partner up with WhyHunger, an organization that's changing lives on a daily basis. We’re excited & honored to work with such a great cause.
Harry Chapin was a brilliant singer-songwriter, a visionary and humanitarian of the highest order. He was the embodiment of one person using their gift to better the world. It is an honor, and a privilege to be involved with AAH&P. In a hungry world, there is no such thing as too many cooks. Everyone deserves to Taste the Freedom.
Growing up, my dad used to run the local soup kitchen, and I would go every week to help him feed those in need. To see people struggle to get something we need every day to survive hurt me in a way that I’ll never forget. I promised myself that I would always use my platform to help those in need, and as my platform continues to grow, so does my ability to help change the world. WhyHunger is working to eliminate the hunger crisis in America, and I can’t think of a better way to make sure that everyone is full of food and full of love.
"It is an honor for us to stand with Whyhunger in the fight against hunger and poverty. We truly believe that the root cause of most of our world's problems stem from this major crisis, and Whyhunger is leading the path in the 21st century to a hunger and poverty free world"
"WhyHunger embodies all that is good about the human spirit. Helping others in need is the simplest form of kindness and they do it on a daily basis."
We are excited to bring a new generation of artist ambassadors on board to help fuel WhyHunger’s work in the U.S. and around the world. Interested in becoming an official member of our Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program? Contact Hillary at [email protected] to discuss a program tailored to your needs.
"As a child I began to have major concerns about hunger worldwide when my grandparents told me about poverty overseas and the agricultural and economic struggles people were facing. It grew even stronger as a teenager on a family trip to Seattle when I saw the needs of the people right in my home, America. I hope to use my crazy sense of humor and passion for travel to spread the word and help communities in need both domestically and abroad. I am proud and excited to be making a difference in the world by working with WhyHunger, an organization which focuses on the root causes of hunger and poverty."
"I support WhyHunger because of their founders and the principles they believed in. That food is a human right and that to fight poverty one must understand and strike at the root of the issue. I also support WhyHunger because I have gotten to know the people who work in and run the organization and many who are benefactors. I think they are amazing people doing heroic work and I would follow them anywhere"
