Many of us have the desire to help those in need but, often times, we are unsure what to do or may feel too busy with our everyday lives to make an impact. Musician and AAH&P supporter, John Kanaz

Many of us have the desire to help those in need but, often times, we are unsure what to do or may feel too busy with our everyday lives to make an impact. Musician and AAH&P supporter, John Kanazawich, reminds all of us how easy it is to lend a helping hand and make a difference in the world. We hope you’ll use John’s example as a way to support WhyHunger and make an impact in your local community. Thanks John and keep up the good work! 

John’s Letter:

      I believe most thinking persons are reflective about their lives and tweak them as they go about them.  I’m no different.  Looking back to my earlier life, I didn’t see myself as a charitable person, but as a needy person.  I always put me first.  I wouldn’t donate to a cause or give change to a panhandler.  I always thought that I would be charitable when I could better afford it.  20 turned into 50, and I was still thinking, “I can’t afford to be charitable”.  Then I met Jennie Walker – and Bill Ayres.

      Jennie Walker (singer-songwriter) was hosting a Connective Panel (for the music business) in Harlem which I attended.  At that time I was attending various music-oriented events in order to meet people in the business.  After all, they say it’s “who you know”.  Jennie raised my awareness of giving, whether I could afford it or not.  Coincidentally, I just happened to strike up a conversation with the man sitting next to me before the meeting started, a man who identified himself as Bill Ayres, the Executive Director of World Hunger Year (now WhyHunger), who co-founded the organization with Harry Chapin.

     I saw that Jennie could do two things at once – host her music business event and raise funds and awareness for a cause.  That is when the light went on for me.  I was hosting songwriter showcases in upstate NY and had been thinking about tying into a cause.  Meeting Bill and listening to him surely raised my awareness.

     I had then and there decided to attach a cause to all of my musical presentations.  However, I was still undecided as to which cause to support.  That’s when I realized, I love food.  I love to eat.  I love to cook.  I love great restaurants, great chefs, and cooking shows on TV.  Just before I wrote this, I was even on-line choosing a fine Rochester-area restaurant to visit this Saturday.  With me it’s all about the food.  So naturally, my cause had to be about food.  And so I chose WhyHunger-Artists Against Hunger & Poverty to be my cause for which to raise funds and awareness.  I also help raise food and funds for our local food warehouse, CHOW.

     Our Songwriter Showcase last Saturday raised 75 pounds of non-perishable food for CHOW, $115 for CHOW and another $115 for WhyHunger-AAH&P.  It is easy adding fund-raising to an event.  I wish I had started sooner, as I lament lost fund-raising opportunities. 
People are by nature generous and want to help others.  We make it easy for them.  It is a win-win situation.  I encourage you to add a cause to all of your musical or other events.  For very little effort you can do a lot of good.

John Kanazawich