Rock For Hunger Spring Show !!

One Man Band Rocks Orlando To Help Local Homeless And Youth Poverty

The Rock For Hunger Spring Show at The Plaza Theatre showcases music, art and community on March 12th.

For immediate release: An ambitious young organization has changed the face of homelessness in Orlando over the past 4 years. From showcasing their ability to find meaningful employment, to showcasing talent, to fostering relationships with many Orlando businesses, Rock For Hunger is an organization that is looking to see the change they set out to start as an organization at UCF. Now the 501(c)3 non profit is hoping to impact more of the community with its rock star offerings.

Included with their ambition is the ability to fill rooms with local supporters, coming together with music and art to inspire the local community. On Friday, March 12th at the Historic Plaza Theatre, the 3rd annual Rock For Hunger Spring Show will take talented voices and use them to raise funding and awareness for the local homeless community as well as youth in need in the heart of Downtown Orlando.

With a lineup that includes one man jam band Zach Deputy, Wisebread, One31, Jared Goldberg of Breathing Chemistry, former iRockForHunger Battle of the Bands winner Innercoastal, The Sneakers and homeless drumming sensation Blackbird, there is a musical style and a voice that can speak to anyone looking to make a difference in our local community.

The tickets for the event are $10 and go to benefit Rock For Hunger’s core programs including their Monday night gatherings, youth programs with the New Image Youth Center and Job Training and Lifestyle Design programs.

Who: Rock For Hunger + Zach Deputy
What: Rock For Hunger Spring Show
Where: The Plaza Theatre 425 N Bumby Rd. Orlando, FL 32803
When: VIP Party – Friday, March 12th 7pm – 12am
Tickets: $10 in advance. Can be purchased at the Plaza Theatre Box Office or at http://bit.ly/cGiERP.

About Rock For Hunger
Rock for Hunger exists to inspire individuals of all cultures to join together through music, education and peaceful solutions in order to end the cycle of hunger and poverty. Our visit is to end the cycle of hunger and poverty through education, life style design and career development solutions, beginning with our local community and expanding to reach those in need across the globe.

For information on the event; Chris Goyzueta, at chris@rockforhungert.org 407.346.0334
For marketing and press; Greg Rollett at greg@rockforhunger.org, 321.438.4442.
For more information, please visit http://blog.rockforhunger.org/ or follow us @rfhfest on Twitter.

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Rock For Hunger Spring Show With Zach Deputy On March 12

It's that time of year again! The cold is slowly starting to leave Orlando and the spring air is starting to fill the streets.

Here at Rock For Hunger this means a whole lot to our organization. Many people get involved with our organization in the fall and holiday months. From Rock For Hunger Fest to the Thanksgiving Breakfast and Christmas Party, there is a great deal of excitement going down.

Now that the new year is in full gear it's time to get back to work and help even more individuals. This spring we are proud to present the Rock For Hunger Spring Show at the Plaza Theatre!

This is the biggest Spring Show thus far and it has some pretty healthy competition. From Astronautalis, S.K.I.P. and Stumpp...


to a sold out Backbooth with There For Tomorrow...



And Now We Are Ready To Rock With The 2010 Rock For Hunger Spring Show

This year the event has moved to the home of Rock For Hunger Fest 3, The Plaza Theatre. Located just outside of downtown at 425 N. Bumby, the Historic Plaza Theatre will allow the Spring Show to grow leaps and bounds for our organization. It's all going down on Friday, March 12 with doors at 7 and the festivities kicking off at 8pm.

With 2 stages full of talent, vendor booths, artists and much more this year's Spring Show is going to rock the roof for the homeless community in Orlando.

The lineup consists of one man band Zach Deputy from South Carolina. We are really excited to show the talents of Zach on this big stage. Check out a video from Zach below that will just give you a taste of what you will have the opportunity to check out on March 12th!

Check out Zach's site or stalk his talents on Twitter.

Joining Zach will be:

• Wisebread
• One31
• Jared Goldberg of Breathing Chemistry
• Innercoastal
• The Sneakers
• Blackbird

Grab your tickets from the Plaza Theatre box office or from any of the bands playing. Grab them in advance for only $10. All of the proceeds will be going towards the projects and operations at the forefront of the homeless and youth in poverty right here in Orlando.

Please pass this show to your friends and join us for a big party to help those that need it.

Keep rocking and we will see you on March 12!

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Free Concert - Damon Fowler in Orlando

Join the Rock For Hunger team as well as the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, January 16th at 7pm for a free concert with Damon Fowler. A portion of the proceeds will be going to drive Rock For Hunger's 2010 initiatives to help the Orlando community.

Also on the bill are

• Kevin Maines
• FunkUs

Learn more about Damon Fowler
Born and raised in Brandon Florida just outside of Tampa, Damon first picked up the guitar at the age of 12. After being shown a few chords, it was apparent that he was a natural. While his friends were listening to the music flavor of the month, Damon was digging into the Blues, and was soon playing small clubs in and around the Tampa Bay area. Years later with thousands of shows behind him, you've got one of the most unique and seasoned acts on the national circuit.

His playing, writing, and vocal ability has brought him many accolades. His latest include Creative Loafing magazines "Best Guitarist, Best Lap-Steel player, Best Do-Bro player, & Best Slide player", all rolled into one tight package. Damon has been touring the country since November 2004, and has built a dedicated fan base throughout.

Bio taken from www.damonfowler.com/bio.htm

We look forward to seeing the Rock For Hunger family at this event as we kick off the new year in a rocking way!

-The Rock For Hunger Team

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Volunteer Orlando - Christmas Party for the Homeless

The holiday season should be the best time of the year; filled with family, friends, and reflection on the past year. For the less fortunate, it's often just another reminder of the year's struggles. Let's help change that! Join Rock For Hunger on Monday, December 21st at Lake Eola and share some holiday cheer.

What: Rock For Hunger Christmas Party for the Homeless

When: Monday, December 21st at 6:45 pm (rain or shine)

Where: Lake Eola; Corner of E Robinson St & Cathcart Ave

If you'd like to bring food or volunteer your time, please fill out the sign-up sheet (Google Docs). For questions, contact angela.hottal@gmail.com
Hope to see you there!

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Thanksgiving Breakfast Recap

Last Thursday, November 26th Rock For Hunger, along with friends from NEMA House held a Thanksgiving Breakfast for our homeless friends in Downtown Orlando. This was an amazing breakfast of high spirits, creativity, patience and teamwork. Over 100 volunteers and 150 homeless were at the breakfast and no one left hungry.

For Rock For Hunger, this is our largest volunteer event of the year and I can say without a doubt that this was nothing short of amazing. While the volunteers easily over matched the work, everyone felt a part of something special. Volunteers scooped food, sorted clothing, poured drinks and collected trash, but the most important thing was the attention and compassion we were able to provide.

I want to thank all the volunteers for their hard work in making my job easy! I hope that you all are able to join us on a Monday night, when things are less hectic and the moments are just as powerful.

Here are some shots from China Rayne, a student at Ringling College of Art and Design, from the breakfast. I hope they bring back memories.




Rock For Hunger will be hosting a Christmas Party on Monday, December 21st. More information will be announced this week as to needs, volunteer opportunities and other tidbits.

If you are interested in helping out on Monday nights, here is the basic information:

• Meeting Spot - Corner of Cathcart and Ribinson at Lake Eola (across from the Panera)
• Meeting Time - 6:45pm
• There are rotating cooks that alternate Mondays (if you would like to join the rotation, please contact Angela at angela.hottal at gmail.com)

Needed items include:

• Rice
• Pasta
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Beans - dried/canned
• Canned vegetables
• Prepackaged snacks
• Drinks - water/juice
• Cups
• Plates
• Forks
• Socks
• Toiletries

Thanks again and please leave us a comment below on your experience, things we can improve, things you heard or saw or anything else on your mind. Together we can help our community grow and get people back on their feet and excited to seize the day!

-Greg Rollett

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Orlando Thanksgiving Breakfast For The Homeless

On Thursday, November 26th, Rock For Hunger will host their 3rd annual Thanksgiving Breakfast for the Homeless in Downtown Orlando. This year we are excited to bring in NEMA House as a co-host and welcome in a new group of volunteers.

Please watch the welcome video from Rock For Hunger VP Greg

More information on the breakfast:
Volunteer and item signup sheet (Google Doc)
Time: Meet at 8am, breakfast at 8:15am
Parking and meeting: Parking lot on the corner of Washington and Magnolia
Food sharing: Downtown Orlando Post Office on the corner of Jefferson and Magnolia

For more information, please email Greg @ greg@rockforhunger.org. Please be as specific as possible in your inquiry.

We look forward to meeting new volunteers and seeing old ones on this holiday event. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Orlando!

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Orlando Shares Burritos For Hunger

This afternoon Ted Murphy hosted a really cool lunch event where anyone who brought 10 or more cans to Panchero's on Church St. he would buy them a burrito. Well a few hundred cans in, I'd call it a successful day.

Here is a quick video I shot with Ted about the impromptu event as well as a quick recap of the Thanksgiving Breakfast event coming up next Thursday.

More information on the Thanksgiving volunteer event.
When: Thursday, November 26th at 8am
Where: Downtown Orlando Post Office on the corner of Jefferson and Magnolia
What: Thanksgiving breakfast for our homeless friends. Come share some holiday spirit as we serve pancakes, bagels, oatmeal, fruit and more with over 150 of our homeless friends.

To get involved, please sign up here:
Google Doc Signup and Volunteer Sheet

For more information, shoot me an email to greg@rockforhunger.org

Thanks again Ted and the IZEA family and have a great weekend!

-Greg Rollett

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Burritos For The Homeless

This Friday, November 20th from noon till 1:30pm, Ted Murphy from IZEA will be at the downtown Pancheros on Church Street collecting canned foods to benefit Rock For Hunger.

Ted has been great to Rock For Hunger from auctioning off himself to building a cereal wall all to make a difference in his hometown.

Here are some of the details of the "Show Me Your Cans Initiative"

Every person that brings me 10 cans or more gets a free burrito on me. The person who brings me the most cans will win a $75 Pancheros gift card courtesy of my good friends at Pancheros. Second place gets a $25 Pancheros gift card. If you don’t do so already make sure you follow Pancheros on Twitter, they are good peeps and I appreciate them helping me out.

Let’s recap : You get a burrito. We feed the hungry. Everybody wins! Please help spread the word to your Orlando friends! It’s the season to give back.

So come on out and bring some canned food this Friday and show Orlando that we care about their future. Thanks to Ted and Pancheros for putting this on. In the spirit of having fun while giving, here is the cereal wall video from last Christmas.

-Greg

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UCF Students Pitch a Tent to Help the Homeless

On the day of Rock For Hunger Fest 4, we had a group of volunteers and students from Professor Whitney's Event Planning Class hit the streets of Downtown Orlando and create an environment that showcased a version of the homeless lifestyle. Armed with a tent, cardboard signs, an info sheet and fliers for the event, these students helped ignite conversations about Rock For Hunger, our solutions and the issues facing the homeless in Downtown Orlando.

Here are some shots of the promotion:



Rock For Hunger would like to thank all the volunteers that came out and really made the event possible. The promotion was top notch and we were able to create the awareness that we wanted to in the local community. Thanks to Professor Whitney for allowing us to work with her students and exposing them to our event and cause.

To see what the students were able to do on campus, please check out UCF Guerrilla Promotion for Orlando Homeless.

-Greg Rollett

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Music Can Change the World

The notion that music can change the world is not just a quote from the legendary Bono. It is a testament that people can relate to music, use its emotions and make something beautiful. That is the reason it sits in our mission statement:

Rock for Hunger exists to inspire individuals of all cultures to join together through music, education and peaceful solutions in order to end the cycle of hunger and poverty.

This past weekend proved that statement is working now more than ever! With support from sponsors, volunteers, our interns and Board/Staff Rock For Hunger Fest 4 was the start of our New Year. The beginning of the vision Chris has 4 years ago when he brought me on this wild ride.

The bands, from Tomorrow's Bad Seeds and InnerCoastal to Chris Burns's packed house jam session to The Crazy Carls rocking till the wheels fell off, music inspired the night. From our homeless friends that came to rock out with us - they were jumping up and down, clapping and cheering like they owned the night.

The fans knew why they were there - I made sure of that. The loudest ovations of the night came when they heard where their ticket money was going.

Music Healing the World

The vision for Rock For Hunger's future lies in the Dream Center. A place that brings together music, art, lifestyle design, basic needs and the support of the Rock For Hunger crew for the homeless community and those in need, including the 1 in 5 children in Orlando that go without a meal everyday.

Music is being used all around the world to change lives. A story came my way this morning of Carlinhos Brown, a musician from Candeal Pequeno in Brazil who has taken his music and fame and used it to create opportunities for those living in poverty in his hometown. At Rock For Hunger, we believe in what he says in the article:

“Poverty is not an excuse for anything. Poverty is an opportunity.”

Mr. Brown, a well known Brazilian artist, has opened a music school for the children of his city. This music school paved the way for a 360 degree change in Candeal Pequeno from dignitaries visiting the town to paved roads, built their first health clinic and built and renovated more than 200 homes.

This story inspires me to keep working towards our vision of the Rock For Hunger Dreams Center and firms my belief that music can change the world, because music can change people. That's what the Rock For Hunger Fest weekend is all about.

Thank you for coming along for the journey. More wrap up coming soon, plus news on the Homeless Lifestyle Design Project starting November 2nd.

-Greg Rollett

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Urban Flats Talks About Helping the Orlando Community

On Friday night at the Rock For Hunger VIP Party, Urban Flats helped us in a big way by donating 250 awesome boxed pasta dishes that were scooped up quickly by our homeless friends, volunteers and staff. The meal was enjoyed on a very warm October evening that was followed by the movie "Pay It Forward" that kept the crowd entertained through the night.

I had the chance to catch up with Urban Flat's VP Lori and Events Director Brandi to talk about their community involvement, how they are helping with the VIP event and how other nonprofits can benefit from the services Urban Flats offers.

Feel free to contact and connect with their team on Twitter, @urbanflatswine or on their website, www.urbanflats.net.

-Greg

Video: Urban Flats Feeds Orlando Homeless

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UCF Students Use Guerrilla Marketing Tactics To Help Homeless

Students in the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, at the University of Central Florida, have been rocking for the homeless in major ways this semester. In conjunction with Mrs. Whitney's Event Planning Class, the students have been assigned to volunteer and help promote Rock For Hunger Fest 4, October 10th in Downtown Orlando. As part of the promotions the students signed up in 3 groups

• Street Team - fliers and posters around town
• On Campus Marketing Event
• Day Of Street Campaign

If you are downtown tomorrow, Saturday October 10th, look for 20-30 students setting up homeless camps in parking spaces, talking about the show and the changes Rock For Hunger is making in the community. They will have info cards, tickets to the events and high spirits to kick off the day's festivities.

The students that were on campus, did one heck of a job in promoting the show, with a display of homeless life on campus - utilizing benches, free speech areas and cardboard signs to grab UCF students attention. Here are some pics from that event:


We want to thank the class for their efforts in making Rock For Hunger the biggest local charity concert of its kind and for helping us get one step closer to opening the Rock For Hunger Dreams Center in early 2010.

See you tomorrow at the show!

Grab you tickets here!

-Greg Rollett

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