Hello Good Folks!
We hope you are all enjoying your summer, doing what you love. Possibly enjoying some live music ( Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash and Jackson Browne are all out on tour! ) and also taking some time to think about people and places in need and doing what you can to help. Whether it’s lending a helping hand, donating or sharing information. Every little bit helps and we thank you!
Now let’s check out the organizations we are highlighting this week while Jackson Browne is in New York City.
From our friend Renee Vogelsang, who has been working and campaigning for many years helping New York (and beyond) with Clean and Safe Energy. -- Thank you Renee, for all you have done bringing important issues to the front lines.
Fossil fuels - primarily gas - in our homes and buildings - Furnaces, hot water heaters and gas stoves create indoor air pollution that is damaging to our health and outdoor pollution that is damaging to the climate’s health.
Renewable Heat Now is a campaign of more than a dozen organizations from across New York State that have joined together to accelerate the adoption of ground-source ( geothermal ) and air-source heat pumps to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to heat and cool our homes and workplaces. They educate the public about heat pumps and advocate for New York State policies that will facilitate a just, equitable and affordable transition to all-electric homes and buildings.
Next meet Aimee Holzman, founder of RockCANRoll in NY. Aimee has the biggest heart! She has brought together a team of incredible volunteers, helping those in need. The Rock CAN Roll organization, based on Long Island, is such a fantastic idea. It’s very simple. You bring healthy nonperishable food items, and basic supplies for people and PETs to concerts and know that you’re helping neighbors who live with hunger.
These goods go right from the shows to the shelves of local feeding programs. Every day RCR volunteers are picking up unused catered food from TV Film productions too - The food goes right from the productions to the plates of folks in need of a meal. In 2005, The NYCB Theatre at Westbury was the first to say YES WE CAN and give Rock CAN Roll a home. Many artists such as Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Gregg Allman, Train, Maroon5, Wavy Gravy ( and more ) all have been longtime supporters. In fact, Aimee received Wavys Basic Human Needs Award, for the important work they do.
Rock CAN Roll volunteers have delivered thousands of pounds of food and basic necessities to give folks hope, who thought they would otherwise been forgotten.
Their message is simple: You CAN Help out While You Rock out!
On to an International organization that Jackson Browne holds close to his heart; Artists for Peace and Justice. ---- In the immediate aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake that leveled much of the nation’s capital city, killing 300,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless, a community of leading artists from Hollywood gathered and helped to establish the Academy for Peace and Justice, an entirely Haitian led middle and secondary school that would provide dignified education to the poor.
$4.5M was pledged that day, enabling purchase of land, construction of the first facilities and full scholarships to all attending students for the next five years. Since then with the help of many friends, the Academy campus has grown with more buildings and an additional 400 new students a year. Today the six acre Academy campus welcomes 160 local staff and 3,200 students each day with advanced education, music and science classes. It is also now largely locally funded, and general donations to APJ today provide the critical support needed to fill that remaining gap.
In addition to financing the creation and operations of the Academy a critical time for Haiti, APJ was instrumental in rebuilding and expanding the nation’s film school to become the Artists Institute, a professional training and technical resource facility that empowers local film and music industries. That support continued until 2018. The Institute is made up of entirely Haitian staff and is run today by many of its alumni.
“My relationship with Artists for Peace and Justice is one of longevity and friendship. We believe that music is a universal language, one that can unite people and cultures to create change.” – Jackson Browne, APJ Advisory Board Member
Thanks everyone for following along with us. Jackson Browne’s tour will be on a break after his NYC run till the end of August. We will be back then highlighting more great organizations. In the meantime, enjoy your summer and be kind to one another...
Peace,
Tom, Paula, Diane and Jeffrey
