Rock for Hunger | Homelessness and At Risk Youth in Orlando, FL

2011 RFH Thanksgiving Breakfast Volunteering

2011-11-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Rock for Hunger Friends and Supporters,

It's that time of year again and planning for our Annual Thanksgiving Breakfast is officially underway. For five years running, our amazing volunteers have come together on Thanksgiving morning to provide a home-cooked meal to 200+ people in need. This event has become a RFH tradition and we're excited to get back out there to share our good fortune with our homeless friends and give our thanks. We hope you will join us for what we expect to be a wonderful event.

Below are details to include location/time as well as a link to our sign-up sheet. Because this is a potluck-style food share, we do ask that everyone sign up to bring something. Please also be sure to include your contact information so that we may follow up with you to assign volunteer positions.

Where: 24 N. Rosalind Ave. (St. George Orthodox Church parking lot)

When: Thursday, November 24th

Time: 8:00am-9:30am

Questions: angela.hottal@gmail.com

Sign-up Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArDsSFYi6BBndHBoeUNQY1JPRktKYndTalJnM1JHdWc

Please let us know if you have any questions and THANK YOU for your continued
support. I look forward to seeing you on Thanksgiving morning!

Purchase Your Tickets to Rock for Hunger's 3rd Annual Bowl for Hunger Today!

2011-03-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Want to register for Bowl for Hunger?

Click on the DONATE button at the top right of this page!

Simply type in the ticket amount you wish to purchase, write a "note to seller" that your donation is for Bowl for Hunger, and you are good to go! If you are purchasing multiple tickets please note the other attendees names as well.

Please email marketing@rockforhunger.org with any questions or concerns.

3rd Annual Bowl for Hunger Set for April 16th, 2011

2011-03-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

This year, on Saturday, April 16th 2011, Rock for Hunger is hosting its Third Annual Bowl-A-Thon at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, FL at 2 p.m. Events include live music from local artists, raffle prizes, and a special performance by the children of New Image Youth Center. This year’s goal is to raise over $2,000 to help support our Monday Night feedings, the Lil’ Rock Stars program, and Rock for Hunger’s overall mission. The price is $12 for individuals or $40 for a team of 4. Tickets can also be purchased for $7.00 for those who do not wish to bowl but would simply like to support Rock for Hunger and listen to the live performances. This is a new year with new history being made, so be a part of the spirit of change by giving back to your community. Come out and join the fun to make a difference and support Rock for Hunger’s efforts in spreading awareness about homelessness and poverty in Central Florida through music and peace.

What: 3rd Annual Bowl for Hunger 2011
Who: Rock for Hunger
Where: Boardwalk Bowl, 10749 East Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32817
When: Saturday April 16th 2011 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Registration opens on Friday March 4, 2011. Email marketing@rockforhunger.org with any questions.

2010 Thanksgiving Breakfast for the Homeless

2010-11-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Rock for Hunger Thanksgiving Breakfast was the most successful Thanksgiving event for RFH yet!! There were close to 100 volunteers and over 125 meals served. Volunteers arrived from all ages and different walks of life. This year we also had a volunteer who first heard about the organization at Rock for Hunger Fest 5. HUGE SUCCESS!!! Thank you to Angela for organizing yet another amazing event and Julius for the great photos from this years event! Please keep checking back for info on our 3rd Annual Christmas Movie Night in the Park for the Homeless on December 20, 2010. For more info you can e-mail Angela@rockforhunger.org. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

(Rick shares his amazing story with our volunteers and others in need)

Rock for Hunger Fest 5 Review

2010-11-25T20:41:00.001-08:00

If you missed Rock for Hunger Fest 5, I'm sorry to tell you, you missed out. But thanks to our friends at Orlando Live we got a short little video for you showing some of the highlights of Rock for Hunger Fest 5. Unfortunately it won't be anything like the real thing, but this will have to do. For those of you that were there, THANK YOU!!! And you know how amazing it was. How about Keller Williams and Zach Deputy finally meeting? See you at the next one!!

Rock For Hunger from Concrete Lion Pictures on Vimeo.

About Rock for Hunger

2010-11-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

Rock for Hunger began in 2006 by a group of students from the University of Central Florida (UCF) recruited by Chris Goyzueta (Executive Director & Founder of Rock for Hunger). This group which included Ben Bergholtz and Tristen Anderson (now Tristen Berholtz) helped in the organization of the inaugural Rock for Hunger Festival held in the Student Union at UCF. This one time student project to raise awareness for homelessness and at risk youth in Central Florida, has developed into a fully run 501(c)3 Orlando, FL based nonprofit organization in May of 2007. Since the organization has grown rapidly through developing partnerships and lifelong friendships within the Central Florida community. The current programs of the organization includes their original program the Monday Night Food Sharing, College Scholarships for at risk youth, Thanksgiving Breakfast for the Homeless, Christmas Movie Night in the Park, and the Rock for Hunger Concert series.

CURRENT PROGRAMS:
Monday Night Food Sharing
College Scholarships for at risk youth
Thanksgiving Breakfast
Christmas Movie Night in the Park
Rock for Hunger Concert Series

2010 Rock for Hunger Board of Directors

2010-11-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

(from left: Brad Mason, Chris Goyzueta, and Angela Hottal)

Chris Goyzueta

Executive Director

chris@rockforhunger.org

twitter: rockforhunger

Chris is the founder and Executive Director for Rock for Hunger. With a group of College Students from the University of Central Florida, Goyzueta organized the inaugural Rock for Hunger Festival in 2006 at the UCF Student Union. Since the inaugural event he has completed the application process to make Rock for Hunger a 501(c)3 Nonprofit organization and recruited the groups first governing board in May 2007. His main role now is to supervise all the current organizational program, recruit/supervise the organizations interns for each semester, book diverse talent for Rock for Hunger events, and developing stronger relationships with partner organizations.

Angela Hottal

Operations Manager

Angela@rockforhunger.org

Angela has been involved with Rock for Hunger since 2008 and is the glue of the organization. Rock for Hunger's first program created was the Monday Night Food Sharing, where the organization goes out to provide meals and conversations to over 125 less fortunate individuals every Monday Night. Not only has she kept this program alive by fully taking charge of it, she has also helped make it Rock for Hunger's strongest program and easiest way for individuals to get involved. Angela also runs the annual Thanksgiving Breakfast and Christmas Movie Night in the Park for the Homeless, which are two of the organizations cornerstone programs.

Brad Mason

Fundraising Director

Brad@rockforhunger.org

Brad's first event with Rock for Hunger was the 2008 Thanksgiving Breakfast. It was then when he became inspired to work with the organization and determine how to take more of a business perspective and bring it to the next level. He's helped get the organization on a clear path towards its goals and mission as well as broken organizational fundraising records each year. Brad's biggest goal is to make sure that Rock for Hunger is recognized within the community as the group that brings it all together by being a voice for the homeless and at risk youth in Central Florida and showing people how they can get involved to be the change they want to see.

Rock for Hunger’s 2nd Annual Bowl for Hunger

2010-03-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Rock for Hunger will be making immense changes to this year’s bowl-a-thon, making the 2nd Annual Bowl for Hunger the first ever fundraiser at Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center to include live bands, with performances from JamesPete, ONE31, Oh Romeo! , and Mayday! Cried the Captain. The 2nd Annual Bowl for Hunger is being held in the UCF area, in a much bigger venue than last year’s with 80 lanes, two bars, restaurant, min-golf, and arcade, in hopes of expanding the fundraiser and raising more money than ever towards Rock for Hunger’s Dreams Center.

This year, on Saturday, April 10th 2010, Rock for Hunger is hosting its Second annual Bowl-A-Thon presented by Vamp Hair Studio at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, FL at 3 p.m. Activities also include:

· Raffles of signed merchandise by several artists, such as Tegan and Sara, Santigold, Iron and Wine, Jack’s Mannequin, and more!
· Raffles of gift certificates from Natura, Sam Ash, Etho’s Vegan Kitchen, College Park Yoga, and more!
· Rock Band Tournament
· The bowling tournament with a grand prize of four tickets to see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and a basketball signed by Orlando Magic’s power forward Rashard Lewis!

Tickets will be available online at Event Brite, the price for individuals being $15 or $40 for a team of 4, through someone from Rock for Hunger, or can be purchased the day of the event. Pre-sold tickets are recommended!

Guests also have the opportunity to enter the raffles free of purchase with a donation of travel-sized hygienic products, such as, foot powder, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, disposable razors, or a pair of men’s tube socks. These items will be donated to Lovebags (http://www.lovebags.org/) in order to provide the homeless with daily necessities they normally go without.

Rock for Hunger’s goal for this year’s bowl-a-thon is to raise over $1,000 towards founding the Dreams Center. This is a new year with new history being made, so be a part of the spirit of change by giving back to your community. Come out and join the fun to make a difference and support Rock for Hunger’s efforts in spreading awareness about homelessness and poverty in Central Florida through music and peace!

Mayday! Cried the Captain Official Video for “Today’s Gonna be a Good Day”

Today's gonna be a good day (Official Music Video) from MaydayCriedTheCaptain on Vimeo.

Check out the performing artists on Myspace!
Mayday! Cried the Captain
Oh Romeo!
ONE31
JamesPete

Be sure to check out the event on Facebook and invite all of your friends!

Rock For Hunger Spring Show !!

2010-03-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

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.

Rock For Hunger Spring Show With Zach Deputy On March 12

2010-02-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

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!

Free Concert - Damon Fowler in Orlando

2010-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

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

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

Volunteer Orlando - Christmas Party for the Homeless

2009-12-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

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!

Thanksgiving Breakfast Recap

2009-11-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

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

Orlando Thanksgiving Breakfast For The Homeless

2009-11-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

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!

Orlando Shares Burritos For Hunger

2009-11-20T12:14:00.001-08:00

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

Burritos For The Homeless

2009-11-16T07:05:00.001-08:00

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

UCF Students Pitch a Tent to Help the Homeless

2009-10-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

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

Music Can Change the World

2009-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

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

Urban Flats Talks About Helping the Orlando Community

2009-10-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

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

UCF Students Use Guerrilla Marketing Tactics To Help Homeless

2009-10-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

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

Rock For Hunger Fest 4 - Mainstage at Backbooth

2009-10-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

So far, we have shared the bands that will be taking over Pine Street at Rock For Hunger Fest 4 at 57 West and Tanqueray's, but today we are ready to share the main stage, where all the action is going down. For those that witnessed Rock For Hunger 2, you know the kind of street party we throw and this year is no different. From the minute you walk in, you will be immersed into the Rock For Hunger World, from the concert edition of Talk For Hunger, to our new membership plans to the, oh yea, the music and culture that make this event a day to remember.

Doors for the Backbooth lot will open at 5pm and iRock For Hunger Audition winner Inner Coastal (some may know them as Ben's Friends) will take the stage.

Inner Coastal

We cannot express the way that Inner Coastal has spread the word of this festival and the cause. From the tubs and tubs of food, to selling out their ticket pool not once, but twice - we are very proud to have them repping RFH on the mainstage.

Check them out on Myspace and sing along with their catchy tunes.

The Heavy Pets

Hailing from South Florida, this touring act is a great fit for the Rock For Hunger stage. Their rock and punk influenced set is sure to rock the rock the Orlando crowd.

Visit the Heavy Pets on Myspace
Follow the Heavy Pets on Twitter

Co-Headliner - Tomorrow's Bad Seeds

Hailing from LA, this raggae, hip-hop and rock influenced set is coming to bring the ruckus Saturday night. Their entire album can be streamed right from their website (click on Music), so their is no excuses to bust a rhyme or make them feel at home, repping Rock For Hunger.

Check them out on Myspace
Follow their antics on Twitter
Visit their website

Co-headliner - Burnin Smyrnans

Hailing from the beach town of New Smyrna Beach and no stranger to the Orlando scene, we are stoked to have these guys closing the night in the parking lot, rocking the crowd and giving back to the Orlando community. Grab their new album "Travel Along" on CD Baby or at the event and support these hometown guys!

Check out the Burnin Smyrnans on Myspace
Visit their official site
Follow them on Twitter

And there you have it! We ae so excited for this weekend, from the VIP Party to the bands, to the volunteers to all the fun promos we have been able to pull off.

If you are still crazy and do not have tickets, grab them now online, at Park Ave CD's or if you want to risk it, at the door. They are $10 at all locations!

See you Saturday Orlando as we make a change to help build our community stronger through music, peace and eduction.

-Greg Rollett

Rock For Hunger Fest 4 - Tanqueray's Stage

2009-10-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

This week has been absolutely amazing and the help, volunteers and bands are really rocking for hunger. I urge you all to pick up a copy of the Orlando Sentinel on Friday to see a special piece with Chris Goyzueta and Jim Abbott, chatting about Rock For Hunger, the festival and the Dreams Center.

As we move closer to the event, we are going to take a look at the artists at Tanqueray's, an official venue, sponsor and after party location for Rock For Hunger Fest 4. Here is the music you can experience at this great Orlando venue.

SYPH

Check out S.Y.P.H. on Myspace
Download his album "The McFly Chronicles" for Free here

Chris Burns

Check out Chris Burns Radio Website
Chris Burns on Myspace
Follow Chris on Twitter
Chris Talks About Rock For Hunger 4 on his blog

KG and the Band
Visit KG on Myspace

Check out the live video for Dying to Know by KG and the Band

LoveJuice

Check out LoveJuice on Myspace

LoveJuice will be rocking from midnight - 2am as the official afterparty band for Rock For Hunger 4. Big thanks to Crash and WJRR for all their support and awareness of the efforts of Rock For Hunger.

To grab your tickets, head on over to http://rockforhungerfest4.eventbrite.com.

Follow all the latest festival news on Twitter, @rfhfest.

-Greg

Rock For Hunger Fest 4 - 57 West Stage

2009-10-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, can you believe Rock For Hunger Fest 4 is this Saturday. I can still remember last year and the 3 stages, the parking lot art fest and the amazing people.

One of the things that stood out to me personally were the 2 side stages and the atrium stage in particular. It's intention was to keep the crowd moving and grooving while grabbing a drink or awaiting set changes and what happened was an explosion of indie talent that had the crowd in a frenzy. From Patrick O'Brien playing when the doors opened to the beatboxing talents of Rubox Cube and Ronyai to Orlando's soul uprising stars Peter Baldwin and Kaleigh Baker to well...let's just say that I got to close the stage out to a few hundred of my closest friends, Rock For Hunger volunteers and a really fun on stage party.

This year, while the main activities are going on in the Backbooth Parking Lot, we cannot forget the stages where Orlando's upcoming talent will be shining. This year, at a new venue on Pine Street, 57 West, we will be showcasing some great talent from right in our own backyard.

The band rocking the 57 West Stage is as follows:

The Crazy Carls

Follow the Crazy Carls on Twitter
Visit the Crazy Carls on Myspace

Breathing Chemistry

Visit Breathing Chemistry on Myspace

Savi Fernandez Band

Visit the Savi Fernandez Band on Myspace

Cloud Conquers City

Visit Cloud Conquers City on Myspace

Chasing Jonah

Follow Chasing Jonah on Myspace
I urge you all to check out their websites and their music, so we can all sing along to the future of talent in Orlando!

Tomorrow we will showcase the Tanqueray's Stage and VIP Party and then we get down to the mainstage, and all the festivities taking place at Rock For Hunger Fest 4.

Grab your tickets today at http://rockforhungerfest4.eventbrite.com.

-Greg "G-Ro" Rollett

Urban Flats Cranks Up the Volume for VIP Party

2009-10-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Luckily Lake Eola park does not have a roof, because we would have just blown it off with this announcement. Rock For Hunger's VIP Party is already a VIP party like none other here in Orlando, with a feeding and entertainment session bridging the gap between the local homeless, the sponsors, the bands and the fans. We really wanted to give our amazing Monday night cooks a night off and enjoy a night talking to friends and enjoying the landscape.

This has been made possible by an amazing donation by Urban Flats in Downtown Orlando. The Downtown Location will be providing 250 meals for our homeless friends, volunteers, bands and friends.

About Urban Flats:

As a young girl, Suzanne Bonham dreamed of a career that would fulfill her passion for food, fun and hospitality. Her aspirations would take her to the place famous for making dreams come true—Walt Disney World. Suzanne was fortunate to have traveled the globe, including to Europe and Africa, teaching others the magic of a memorable guest experience.

While this international adventure was truly amazing, Suzanne’s life dream was to build her own unique dining experience. In 2004, she founded Urban Flats® as a “refined casual” restaurant and wine bar where the centuries-old flatbread is given a modern new twist with interesting, fresh and healthy ingredients. And, the tastefully selected wines from around the world pair perfectly with your gourmet flat.

Remember that at the event you can be guaranteed a meal if you purchase a VIP ticket for $50. The homeless will be fed first, then VIP's, then active volunteers and then everyone else.

You can join us in Lake Eola to kick off Rock For Hunger Fest weekend, Friday, from 5-9pm. We will be showing Playing For Change, playing music and having some sports to keep us all entertained.

Show your support to the Downtown Urban Flats by going in lunch or dinner, grab a drink at their Wine Down Wednesdays or for your next luncheon event. The downtown location can be found at 183 South Orange Ave, Suite 100 Orlando, FL 32801 on the corner of Church and Orange.

photo by ZarrSadus

Grab your Rock For Hunger tickets here today for only $10.

-Greg

Meet Rock For Hunger Fest 4 Venue and Sponsor Tanqueray's

2009-09-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

photo by TheIndustryWill

Not only is Tanqueray's a venue in this year's festival, hosting Brandon, Chasing Jonah, SYPH, Chris Burns and KG and the Band, they are also hosting the official after party with music by LoveJuice (which features Crash from Real Rock 101.1). Rock For Hunger's rocking intern Orly caught up with Dan from Tanqueray's to chat about their involvement!

RFH: What made you decide to donate and become a sponsor for this year's RFH Fest 4?

Dan: I was approached by Lisa about becoming a sponsor for the festival and I had the time and resources to donate to such a great cause in our community. I had heard many things about the RFH organization and knew that I could help in making a strong impact. I am looking forward to having a great time and raising money for the less fortunate.

RFH: What is your connection to the RFH mission?

Dan: Since I am involved in the music industry I believe that this organization has the right idea by trying to raise awareness in a fun and entertaining way.

RFH: Why do you believe it is important that the RFH organization be a part of the Orlando/Central Florida Community?

Dan: They are doing something that every community really needs to take care of and by helping the less fortunate they are accomplishing that goal. I hope to spread the word about the organization and get more people involved.

If you have yet to grab your festival tickets, I suggest picking them up today so you can visit Dan and the Tanqueray's staff for some great music in support of building the first Rock For Hunger Dreams Center.

Rock For Hunger Fest VIP Party - Friday October 9th

2009-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

As part of our annual music festival for change in Orlando, FL we are hosting a new breed of VIP event. One where our donors, volunteers, bands and VIP's will get to experience the change we are making in our community. The VIP Party will take place on Friday, October 9th at the home of our Monday night feedings, in Lake Eola at 6pm.

We have VIP tickets available for $50 that includes a meal, entertainment, festival t-shirt and a ticket to Saturday's main event. There are only 50 of these tickets available and they are going fast! When these are sold out, you can join us for FREE in the park, hang out, watch a movie and meet some of our homeless friends that make our efforts worth every second.

Pick up Rock For Hunger Fest 4 Tickets and VIP tickets here while they last.

Here is the official Press Release for the VIP Party:

Party in the Park Brings VIP’s, Sponsors and Community to Eat and Hang With the Homeless
Rock For Hunger Fest 4 VIP Party, Friday, October 9th to show Playing For Change, Features Live Music, Sports and Homeless Experience to Guests

For immediate release: While most VIP Parties feature fancy dinners that take the focus away from the cause of attention, Rock For Hunger has decided to bring the VIP’s to the company’s core VIP’s, the homeless. As a prelude to Rock For Hunger Fest 4, event sponsors, bands, volunteers and VIP ticket holders will have an opportunity to see first hand the efforts the group is making with the local community.

On Friday, October 9th, at Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando the local community is invited to join this group to watch a premiere of the movie Playing For Change, listen to local musicians and enjoy a warm meal alongside 150+ homeless individuals.

Executive Director Chris Goyzeuta says, “we really wanted to bring together everyone at a place that meant something to the organization, to show our growth and to show the progress we have made thus far in the community. Then we wanted to give them a glimpse into the future and this event is a chance to do that.”

The VIP event is free for the general public with VIP tickets available for purchase. The $50 VIP ticket includes a warm meal, preferred seating, a festival t-shirt and a ticket to Saturday’s Music Festival.

Who: Rock For Hunger Fest
What: Rock For Hunger Fest 4 VIP Party
Where: Lake Eola Park on the Corner of Cathcart and Robinson
When: Friday, October 9th 6pm – 9pm
Tickets: VIP tickets can be purchased at http://rockforhungerfest4.eventbrite.com for
$50. All others can join Rock For Hunger in the park for free.

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 vision 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 - Lisa Dunaway, at lisa@rockforhungert.org 407.284.0413
For marketing and press - Greg Rollett at greg@rockforhunger.org, 321.438.4442
For a full lineup and the latest festival information, please visit us at
www.rockforhungerfest.org and @rfhfest on Twitter.

If you have any questions, want to get involved or need any promo materials or press badges for either event, please contact me at greg@rockforhunger.org.

-Greg

iRock For Hunger Finals - Innercoastal Takes the Crown

2009-09-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

(Innercoastal Rocking at the iRock For Hunger Finals)

On Tuesday, September 1st, the night was filled with a variety of music as four bands competed for a spot on the main stage at Rock For Hunger 4. The night opened with Innercoastal, who rocked Backbooth with their Reggae inspired music. They packed the house with their loyal fans! Following was Idols End, who filled the stage with their high energy as they gave the crowd a taste of old school punk. SYPH then made the crowd dance with some smooth hip hop and Cloud Conquers City wrapped up the show with some catchy indie rock.

The night overall was amazing and Rock For Hunger raised over $800 towards the Rock For Hunger Dreams Center. RFH would like to thank each and every band that participated and donated canned goods and clothing. We are grateful for the love and support from all of you. Thank you to the interns, volunteers, and bands for a great night. Congratulations to Innercoastal for making it to the main stage and to SYPH, who will be playing at Tangerays. The festival will be taking place on October 10th downtown. RFH4 is going to be huge! Come out and see Innercoastal play the main stage along with Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, Crazy Carlos, Burnin Smyrnans, and Love Juice. Hope you see everyone there!

-Megan Edwards

New Book From Cool People Care: Stories That Need Telling

2009-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Strong supporters of Rock For Hunger, Sam Davidson and Steven Mosely of Cool People Care, has released a new book on Social Media, entitled "Stories That Need Telling." I had the opportunity to peek at it this morning and found some really smart ideas and strategies to turbocharge your social marketing for your nonprofit.

Here is an excerpt from the book’s introduction:

Congratulations. Maybe.

You just decided that social media is worth checking out. Maybe.

Are you nervous? Excited? Overwhelmed? Curious? Doubtful? Hopeful? No matter how you’re feeling right now, we’ve written this book to accomplish two things:
To showcase what social media is, why nonprofits should understand and use it and what your can expect when you decide that it’s worth your time;
To do the above in a way that’s easy (and maybe even fun) to understand;
So, if you’re just getting started by putting your nonprofit on Facebook or Twitter, or whether you’re desperately searching for ways to use your existing presence on these sites in order to recruit and retain donors, this book will help you.

So, keep reading. Pass the book to others in your organization or city. That’s what we’re here for.

Sam has just informed me that we will have a few copies of the book to raffle off at Rock For Hunger Fest 4 on October 10th along with a few Cool People Care shirts and stickers.

For those that can't wait, grab a digital copy for only $5 and the physical tree cutting version for only $15.

-Greg and the RFH Team

Meet Rock For Hunger Fest 4 Sponsor Vitamin Water

2009-09-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

Rock For Hunger Fest 4 is quickly approaching and this year's event could not have been made possible without the people, volunteers, bands and sponsors that put in so much time, resources and effort to make it all go down to help the local Orlando community. Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting the ones that have made the biggest impact on us and how they are helping to curve the homeless and poverty problems right here in Orlando, FL.

Today I wanted to introduce you to vitaminwater and their Orlando rep, Jessica Beers. This is what she had to say about Rock For Hunger, the festival and their new flavor "sync."

RFH: What made you decide to donate and become a sponsor for this years Rock for Hunger fest 4?

vm: Rock for Hunger has been a key influencer throughout the Orlando community and has been a voice for so many people needing motivation and education to end poverty. On a local level, our vitaminwater team recognizes charities that have strong visions and hope that any contribution we make can assist in this rock for hunger.

RFH: What is your connection to the Rock for Hunger mission?

vm: The local vitaminwater team has a strong connection to the local music community with one of our newest varieties, "vitaminwater sync". This berry cherry flava' supports new up and coming artist and encourages music goers to "drink up and sync up". The Rock for Hunger Mission in Orlando and vitaminwater collaboratively encourage music through education and peace. We did it, and support all artists that play for a purpose so bring on the jamz and drink an ice cold v dub.

RFH: Why do you believe it is important that the Rock for Hunger organization be a part of the Orlando/Central Florida community?

vm: Because Rock for Hunger not only fills the tummies of local folks in need, it also educates and encourages them to grow and enter back into the workforce. Get folks to work..:):):):)

Check out this cool commercial with Steve Nash and 50 Cent for vitaminwater

We want to thank vitaminwater for their support of the cause. To get involved, we urge you to pick up a pair of tickets. All the proceeds from this year's event will go towards the 1st Rock For Hunger Dreams Center where we will be able to provide art, music, business and financial lessons to those less fortunate and help get the Orlando community rocking like we know it can.

Be a part of the solution and Rock For Hunger.

heART of the Homeless Art Exhibit at the History Center

2009-09-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

We just learned of this great event and wanted to pass it along to our volunteers, staff and homeless friends. The Orange County Regional History Center is hosting an art exhibit featuring the work of children staying at the Coalition. The exhibit is called heART of the Homeless and will run from September 15th - October 16th. I strongly encourage you guys to check it out and see the spirits and creativity of the children facing extreme poverty and homelessness in our community.

From the History Center's site:

In conjunction with Looking East, the History Center hosts photographic works by children in the Art by Coalition Children program at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. The program pairs children living at the Coalition with professional artists in the community to provide an outlet for the children to express and discover themselves in a nurturing environment where they can explore the arts and build self-confidence.

Tickets for the gallery are $9 for adults; $7 for seniors (60+); and students and military with I.D are $6.

For more information, please visit the History Center's website.

If you would like to get involved in working with local children in Orlando that are living in poverty, please join our lil Rock Stars program where we provide tutoring, field trips and creative opportunities for those in need. Shoot me an email to get more involved in our children's future.

-Greg

Somacow's 0.05k Cure For The Run is This Saturday

2009-08-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

We are very excited as we get closer to a joint event from Rock For Hunger and Somacow entitled the Cure For The Run. We are expecting a great crowd of families, community advocates, students and people from the Orlando community.

For those that need a quick refresher on the event, here is a run down:

When: Saturday, August 22nd from 4pm - 7pm
Registration starts at 4pm
The run will begin at 5pm
Live music will start at 4 and run through 7pm
Free drinks will be provided from 3 Olives Vodka
Distance: 0.05k or about 164 feet

You can grab a donation/pledge form at http://www.curefortherun.com.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Greg at greg@rockforhunger.org.

Here is a promo video that is currently running on News 13 about the event.

-Greg

Featured Artist of the Week: Tomorrow's Bad Seeds

2009-08-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that we have confirmed Tomorrow's Bad Seeds for Rock for Hunger Fest 4. On October 10th, you will witness California reggae rock at its finest - straight from the five piece L.A. natives.

The best thing about Tomorrow's Bad Seeds is their ability to bridge the gap between eclectic creativity and mainstream rock. If I had to compare, I would say that TBS performs in the same vane as a Sublime - hoping to be underground, but easily accessible for the masses. We at Rock for Hunger think we may be on to something special with them.

You can find Tomorrow's Bad Seeds online at their MySpace page and their Twitter page. That's right... these Seeds like to Tweet!

We're looking forward to sharing love and a good time for a good cause with them on October 10th. The countdown is on!

-Logan

Featured Artist of the Week: Kiros

2009-07-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's hard work being in a band. Some people think it's all fun and games touring the country and playing music. Of course, you get to meet so many people and essentially do what you love, but the personal stress and strain undertaken is greatly underestimated. Carrying your heavy gear in and out of your van, on and offstage, eating fast food every night, playing the same songs over and over... the list goes on - helping you to realize that the road to success in music is extremely difficult in a lot of ways.

No band understands this notion as much as our Featured Artist. Kiros, a band that was featured on this blog last May after stopping by to one of our feedings while in town, has worked endlessly to continue their road to superstardom. These Canadians understand the word hustle and have exemplified it through lengthy supporting tours with bands like All-American Rejects, Allister, and Emery (just to name a few).

The band is currently on tour with Emery and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. They will be stopping in Orlando at the Social on Wednesday, August 5th. Honestly, I am extremely surprised this show hasn't sold out yet. On a personal note, I have tried to see Emery five different times in Orlando over the past several years and never got a chance due to frequent sellouts. Get your tickets early for this show because I am predicting the same for this one.

You can check out Kiros's music on their MySpace page.

-Logan

Featured Artist of the Week: IRFH BOTB Finals

2009-07-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Highlighted several weeks ago on this blog, the iRockforHunger Battle of the Bands competition has been going very well thus far. All of the participating bands have been filled with talent and care for our cause. We have had quality turnouts and great shows – arguably better than last year’s competition.

But it’s not over yet. The finals are coming. On September 1st, the four finalists will compete for this year’s title and a guaranteed performance at Rock for Hunger Fest 4 on October 10th at the Backbooth Backlot.

Like the previous battle concerts, the finals will take place at Backbooth. The final four bands in contention are:

Syph
Idol's End
Cloud Conquers City
Ben’s Friends

Be sure to come out and support your favorite act. Even if you don’t have a band preference, you should be there to support our fundraising initiatives and the mere fact that this is a major element of the highly anticipated upcoming festival. If you are reading this, I am sure you already understand the amazing time that is going to be had.

We’ll see you all there!

PS – There will also be a raffle at the show!

-Logan

Somacow Presents: Cure For The Run

2009-07-22T11:37:00.001-07:00

One of the best fundraising events is the 5k run. These runs can attract thousands of participants from the super fit and serious to house moms to kids and everyone in between. Our good friends Stepping Onward are holding a 5k on August 15th and we urge you to visit their site to learn more about their event.

For those that are not in the best shape of their life, Rock For Hunger and local Podcasting juggernauts Somacow are bringing Orlando the Cure for the Run, a 0.05k race that takes place on Wall Street. On Saturday, August 22nd break out your flashiest pair of tennis shoes, a sweat band or 2 and prepare to race to help homelessness in Orlando, FL.

Jennifer from the Somacow crew presented this opportunity to us a few weeks ago and we are very excited to be the charity of choice for this social event. Here are some of the details.

How far is 0.05k?
It is a taxing and sweat drenching 164 feet.

You guys are Rock For Hunger and Somacow, there has to be some entertainment?
You betcha. Right now we have confirmed Patrick O'Brien to rock an acoustic set and should have the rest of the entertainment solid by the end of the week.

The music will take place on the Wai Tiki Stage and will be family friendly acoustic tracks and sing along cover songs like Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Jimmy Buffet among others.

During the run there will also be plenty of entertainment from water stations to juggles, magicians and street performers.

Ok, I think I can muscle that distance, how do I signup?
Great, we knew you were up to it sport. You can download the signup form here and follow the directions to start getting pledges. You can also jump on over to www.curefortherun.com and get the lowdown there.

We do ask that you find some donations for your run, it will benefit Rock For Hunger and our main objectives for the rest of the year which includes finding jobs and employment for the homeless, working on lifestyle design and getting our first offical headquarters to house training classes, music lessons and give Chris somewhere to call home while working with this crazy organization!

If you are not going to run, but want to make a difference, you can donate via PayPal at www.curefortherun.com.

What else do I need to know?
You can certainly help us spread the word, help find runners and donors. This is going to be a very cool and unique event and we hope to be able to share it with some of our very fun friends in Orlando!

If you have any other questions, would like to sponsor or can help in an additional way please shoot an email to greg@rockforhunger.org.

See you on the 22nd!

Featured Artist of the Week (BandWagon Edition): Dredg

2009-07-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

For our second installment of the Featured Artist "Bandwagon Edition," I have decided to highlight one of my favorite current bands. They just so happen to have recently released another full-length record called The Pariah, the Parrot and the Delusion. After releasing the amazing Catch Without Arms several years prior, it was tough for them to publish something that can measure up to the high standards they have set for themselves.

If you don't know yet, this week's artist is Dredg.

Did they create another masterpiece? Yes and no. While some of the songs on the new album are some of the best I have heard from them, they have struggled to piece together the most artistic aspect of their musicianship - the album as a whole. On previous records, the band have become known for being one of the more insightful bands that always avoided merely creating a collection of songs, but instead releasing one extremely cohesive record. While I'm not saying they haven't maintained this skillset, they may have fallen short of their previous brilliance in that particular field.

However, I must say that the new record is still more of the Dredg that I love so much. I can't expect another masterpiece. I must settle for what is simply another amazing record from them.

Enough with the album review. Why should you know Dredg? First of all, they are one of the most underrated and under-acknowledged bands in music. Somehow, they have managed to tiptoe alongside the success of mainstream artists without making the noise that would permit a radio takeover. While they now do sellout club shows across the nation, it has taken far too long for their original sound to catch on with the masses.

This post comes at a perfect time considering that Dredg will be in Orlando again tonight with the amazing RX Bandits. The show is at Club Firestone. Check Ticketmaster for more details or simply show up to Firestone later to pick up your tickets at the door. You will undoubtedly be blown away by both Dredg and RX Bandits!

In the meantime, check out their MySpace page here.

-Logan

Featured Artist of Last Week: Urbe Prima

2009-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Urbe Prima just might be the first Spanish band featured on this blog. I needn’t preface this post with such a statement, but one would argue that such a feat is a completely separate and noteworthy honor altogether. While Rock for Hunger certainly strives for diversity and an even keel, it’s surprising to find out how much Latin music is neglected in our network. Or perhaps it’s the scene itself…?

No matter the case, the three men of Urbe Prima are talented. Leo, the band’s frontman has been taking part in RFH events for over a year now. I remember witnessing him perform at the Ten Thousand Villages event about a year ago with G-Ro and the Sneakers. At the time, I had never met him, but I was pleased to discover him at such a fun event. Even without the band behind him, you could easily identify with his songwriting and knack for song construction.
Leo and his whole band will be playing the Plaza Theatre on July 17th. I would suggest you take the time to come on down to Bumby and witness the Spanish sensations behind Rock for Hunger.
Check out their music on their MySpace page:

http://www.myspace.com/urbeprima

-Logan

Seven Steps to Starting a Nonprofit [Stories of a Nonprofit CEO, pt.04]

2009-07-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

On June 2009, Rock for Hunger kicked off it’s third year as a nonprofit organization. It is incredible to think how long we have been working on strengthening and building the foundations of the organization. Since 2006 we all have learned a lot about starting, organizing, and running a nonprofit organization.

Always wanted to start a nonprofit organizaton?

Ask yourself these questions:
Are you looking to duplicate efforts that already exist, or are your programs unique?
Can you make a bigger impact joining an existing organization?
Are you ready to take on a second full time job?
Are you ready to make a lifetime commitment?

It is inspiring to see how many individuals now days want to start their own nonprofit, and make a difference in the world. However, it is also very important to not just start a nonprofit, because you always wanted to start one. There are so many organizations out there competing for every dollar for the exact same mission. Be sure to either have a unique idea on how you can best make an impact, otherwise it may be better for you to put all of your energy and efforts into an existing organization. The only way we can truly change the world, and change make a bigger impact on our causes is to partner with others. Only by building a community/network of groups, can we truly put an end to hunger, poverty, cancer, diabetes, disease, and any other cause that we are fighting for. One individual can only do so much, but together we can change the world.

Seven key steps to starting a nonprofit organization:

1. Develop your Mission & Vision

Develop a clear mission of what you want to accomplish, and what your long term objective is. For example, here is the mission and vision of Rock for Hunger:

Mission: 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.

Vision: 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.

2. Compose your ByLaws

When writing your ByLaws make sure to state very clear all the responsibilities of Board Members, rules of the board, length of terms, when meetings take place, and any other important organizational information. I highly recommend you taking a class on writing your nonprofit ByLaws, and also read the Best Guide for Nonprofits by Aretha Olivarez.

3. Set Specific Goals to accomplish your Mission & Vision

These will be variable as the organization grows, but when starting a nonprofit be clear to state the goals you wish to accomplish in a given year, half year, or quarter. For example, for the second half of 2009, Rock for Hunger has four specific goals: Fundraising, Obtaining a facility, building jobs for the needy, and strengthening our programs.

4. Assemble your Board of Directors

I will write more on your Board of Directors later. It is recommended to have an odd number of Board Memebrs, and it is frowned upon if family makes up a majority of the Board. The general textbook definition of good Board Members is someone who Gives and Asks. That’s all. They must be a donor, and need to build new donors. In Rock for Hunger we added two more things to their job description to make them great ambassadors. Our Board Members must: Give, Ask, Recruit, and Participate.

5. File Articles of Incorporation

The Articles of Incorporation is a very easy application that you need to file with the states department of corporations. Save the legal fees and look at some sample applications from businesses in your state. You can pretty much search any business that filed in your state, and see how they filled out their application.

6. Obtain an EIN

Another extremely easy step! Once your Articles of Incorporations have been filled, and returned by the state, call the IRS, and get a EIN number for your nonprofit Organization. EIN stands for Employer Identification Number. You will need this to open a bank account, and to file for our 501(c)3 status.

7. Fill out the BEAST: the 501(c)3 Application

Here comes the monster! I will write more on this later, because this can’t be explained in a few sentences. Read through the entire application first, and start gathering materials as you read. Then there are many ways to go towards filling out this application. If you decide to do this by yourself, I highly recommend that you take a course, or read some book on filling your 501(c)3 application. This is not something you want to screw up. It can take anywhere from three months to one year to receive your 501(c)3 status. I have some organization obtain it in one month. 501(c)3 information to be continued….

Chris Goyzueta - Executive Director of Rock for Hunger

Stories of a Nonprofit CEO, pt. 004

Using Sports to Free the Homeless Mindset

2009-07-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

The best days in my youth were undoubtedly when I was playing little league on Saturday mornings. My dad, brother and I would get to Tamarac Park sometime around 9am to watch all the day's games playing one in between. For a 4 year stretch from age 9-12 we were known as the Tamarac White Sox (these were the days of Frank Thomas, Bo Jackson and Robin Ventura). We won the league 3 out of 4 years and had the time of our lives. Our mindset was in a very peaceful place, even for being so young.

While those glory days (as my wife reminds me) are gone, I now seek refuge in weekly softball and surfing adventures to relax my mind and set it free from the daily stresses, bills, to-do lists and my ever growing time in front of a computer screen.

This same escape can be used when working with the homeless and getting their minds to recover and embrace creativity, competition and fitness. Over the past few Monday nights Rock For Hunger has been working on increasing activities to increase the mental power of sports on our community through group activities that have included:

Frisbee
Touch Football
Kickball
Toss and Catch

Using the extra light in the summer days in Orlando, we have been able to create a fun, safe and engaging community that extends beyond meals and basic needs. The first step towards winning the battle with homelessness is mental. Getting them to expand their minds and engage in sport is reminiscent of my own childhood when nothing mattered but the game. No family problems, homework, school work or the fact that I didn't have enough allowance to get the new Superman comic.

It is with this attitude that we are developing our Homeless Lifestyle Design Program that is set to come to fruition in the fall. The program is designed around alleviating the mental barriers and finding core influences to find the creativity and inspiration that can lead them out of poverty and back to contributing to the community.

In my searches for cases on Homelessness and Sport I came across the Homeless Games in Dallas, TX (hat tip Homeless on Change.org). The Dallas Morning News reported that over 500 people participated in the games on June 27. From the article:

This marked the 18th time that Union Gospel Mission has hosted the free Homeless Games Day on the last Saturday in June. Organizers say it's a rare opportunity for people who live with enormous stress to just have fun for a few hours...About 80 volunteers, including groups from Faith Bible Church of Caddo Mills and Bent Tree Bible Church in Dallas, helped out, and attendees were bused from Union Gospel Mission, The Bridge, Dallas Life Foundation and the Salvation Army.

When engaging with the homeless, either here in Orlando, or with your group or organization around the world, look to bring them something to stimulate their mind, get their heart rate going and escape from the harsh realities of their lifestyle. This can include a walk around a park, shooting some hoops, playing chess or checkers or tossing around a football.

Sport is not just something for irresponsible millionaires. It is something that is enjoyed by people all over the world. Use its power to help someone that needs it. If you see us on Monday night I challenge you to get one of our guests off the benches and into a game. It may just help them relive their "glory days."

More research and articles on Homeless and Sports

-Greg Rollett

Featured Artist of the Week: IRFH BOTB Auditions

2009-07-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

On July 12th and July 14th, the first two installments of this year's Rock for Hunger Battle of the Band auditions will take place at BackBooth. As of right now, the participating bands will be:

July 12th:
D-Light
Sphy
The Escape Pod
Cloud Conquers City

July 14th:
Exit the Ride
Idol's End
Selby

*** (Click on each of the band names to check them out on MySpace.)

Both shows will be starting at 7:00pm.

All of the performing bands are vying for a chance to perform at Rock for Hunger Fest 4 in October. These auditions will lead to a further round of competitions and thus, narrowing the competitors down to a mere few.

It is important to note that these auditions aren't primarily based around skill and talent. These auditions are a way for our organization to see how much these artists care about the cause at hand. By employing other elements for points outside of performing, bands are forced to display their benevolence through a checklist of to-dos that will gauge their devotion to our mission.

Before everything really begins to heat up, come check out these two audition shows at BackBooth. After all, these bands are some of the exciting up-and-comers in the Orlando area.

-Logan

Featured Artist of the Week: Gerry Williams Band

2009-06-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

On July 4^th, Gerry Williams will be rocking Orlando once again. You better believe that there will be plenty of fireworks that night in the Social. With openers, Kaleigh Baker and KG and the Band (Both being Rock for Hunger favorites), it seems as if the show will consist of explosions of energy and excitement the entire night.

For those that haven’t experienced Gerry Williams live, you don’t know what you are missing. As a staple of the Orlando funk scene, Gerry Williams is up there with the likes of Sam Rivers and the Legendary JCs. His talent is simply undeniable and his band is flawless.

I had the pleasure of seeing Gerry Williams at the Obama-Rama event at the Plaza Theatre back in October. Admittedly, I had never witnessed his brilliance in person prior. That night opened me up to another world of sophisticated music of a unique genre. Although the show wasn’t on the Fourth of July, just his presence alone ignited pyrotechnics throughout the venue.

What are you doing on the Fourth of July? Skip the same old dangerous firework session with you and your buddies and enjoy a live concert that will truly be amazing. Go to the Social!

Visit thesocial.org for more info on the show.

Visit myspace.com/gerrywilliamsmusic for a taste of his music.

- Logan

Featured Artist of the Week (BandWagon Edition): City and Colour

2009-06-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

I decided to do something different for this week's Featured Artist. I am going to start writing a sub-section called "BandWagon" that will highlight a national band that you may have never heard of. By now, we have had almost every RFH alum featured on this blog, and it is definitely time to spread our geographic wings.

As our first bandwagon artist, I chose to highlight City and Colour. For those that are unfamiliar, City and Colour is the brainchild of Dallas Green, the guitarist and songwriter for screamo band Alexisonfire. One might be surprised to hear the 180 degree difference between the two projects.

Being engulfed in heavy music in his professional music career, Dallas started City and Colour to reveal his delicate side. He does this as if it was his first baby. It is no question that he is a natural songwriter that can create any type of song.

Dallas's second album, Bring Me Your Love, was released back in January, and has been in my CD player ever since. I recommend all types of music fans check out his music on City and Colour's MySpace page. There are even some amazing cover tunes that can be found on his sites. Consider it a scavenger hunt.

I hope you enjoyed being informed of the indie and unknown. Together, we will expand your musical database - just as long as you continue to Rock for Hunger in return.

-Logan

Making Change Step By Step

2009-06-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday David Ashby started his trek from Orlando to Washington D.C. to shed light on the over 1.5 million homeless children in the US. Here at Rock For Hunger, we find his journey remarkable and humbling. Taking action, no matter what this is, is always better than thinking about the problem, having great ideas and doing nothing.

David has shown that no matter your age, pay range, life experiences or lack thereof - every person can make a difference. We were fortunate enough to have David spend a night with us here at a Rock For Hunger Monday night food sharing event a few weeks back. Some of the footage is played in the background of yesterday's Today Show profiling David and his walk. I encourage you to watch the video and see that everyday, one by one and one step at a time change is happening to make our world a better place.

Follow David on his journey by visiting his blog. It looks like he will be updating daily with remarks from his first day and night at Sanford's Rescue Outreach Mission Center, along with needs and info already online.

-Greg

Featured Artist of the Week: Bop Gun

2009-06-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

This post may be coming late, but there is still time to check out this week's featured artist live in concert tonight. Tonight, (which yes, is June 12th) Bop Gun will be playing at the Plaza Theatre.

You might be asking yourself, "Bop Gun - who are these guys? And why do they deserve to be the coveted Rock for Hunger Featured Artist of the Week?"

Both questions are justifiable due to the new state of the band. The reason they are so special is because Peter Baldwin, a glorious RFH Fest alum, is the frontman of this newly established band.

Admittedly, this is the first time I have checked out this new act. At first listen, I am impressed. Peter Baldwin has always been one of my favorite local artists. Now that he has a band, he is able to be more animated and shine out in front like the star that he is. I get a major TV on the Radio feel from Bop Gun. That is something to be proud of.

Check the band out on MySpace here and see them live tonight at the Plaza Theatre.

-Logan

Helping the Homeless - Talk For Hunger Day 1

2009-06-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

On June 1st, 2009 Rock For Hunger took a step towards alleviating homelessness in Orlando. With the official street launch of Talk For Hunger, Rock For Hunger has set up a program designed to bring jobs and currency through the homeless community.

For those of you that do not know what Talk For Hunger is, here is the Cliff Notes version. Talk For Hunger is a street paper, much like the Homeless Voice in South Florida and Strteetwise in Chicago. The paper is sold by homeless vendors who are independent contractors for Rock For Hunger.

For each $1 paper sold, the vendor receives $.75 to put towards their future.

Through a lifestyle design and financial training course the vendors will be brought through actionable training to gain full time employment, financial stability and housing to create and sustain a lifestyle to be proud of.

On Monday, June 1st Rock For Hunger Executive Director Chris Goyzueta, along with Blackbird, hit the Orlando streets, working the area around Central and Orange to sell and spread the word on Talk For Hunger. With limited success on Day 1, I caught up with the 2 of them at the Rock For Hunger Food Sharing to talk about their day, their struggles and the outlook for the paper. Check it out!

If you want to get involved with Talk For Hunger, we have subscriptions available. They are $20 and include 12 issues mailed to your home, the electronic version and a small donation to help us secure uniforms, badges and the paper logistics. Please click the Buy Now button below to contribute!

Thanks Orlando for taking this paper into your homes, your hearts and into your conversations. Now is the time to do more than Talk about the problem, you can make a difference and help these individuals further their lives!

-Greg Rollett

P.S. To get involved with Talk For Hunger shoot an email to chris @ rockforhunger.org. You can also follow Talk For Hunger on Twitter (@talkforhunger)

Featured Artist of the Week: Kutless

2009-06-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have never heard of the band Kutless. For those that fall into that category, I feel sorry for you. Kutless is a spiritual and motivational rock group from Portland, Oregon. The infinite amount of followers of the band is astounding, especially for those of you that claimed to have never heard of them until now.

Kutless will be in Apopka (basically Orlando) on June 21st at the Journey Christian Church. You might be asking yourself, what does the show and the band have to do with Rock for Hunger? Well, because they are such incredible guys, they are donating $1 from every ticket sold to us. How amazing is that!

In all honesty, Christian rock isn't my thing. I'll be the first to admit that. I'm only stating that because I want to tell you how much I still enjoy this band. They transcend any "labels" or "restrictions" that you may assume on them from my aforementioned proclomations. Simply put, however, they are just a great rock band with a positive message.

Check out their music on their MySpace by clicking here. And join us at the show in a few weeks. Get your tickets early. This one might end up selling out.

Here is a really cool video promoting the show:

Here are the flyers:

Here is where to buy tickets: https://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/onlineSale%3bjsessionid=11586EDAA5E3D680EC58CAAE52CE7B83?action=selectPerformance&performance_id=1014050

-Logan Lenz

Featured Artist of the Week: Hor!zen

2009-05-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

This week's featured artist is a longtime Orlando favorite, Hor!zen. This band has been a staple in the young reggae market for years now. I had the pleasure of working with them at Central Station Bar in Downtown Orlando often. These guys have a great deal of potential.

On Friday, Hor!zen will be opening up for Scholar's Word at the Plaza Theatre in Orlando. This show is bound to be filled with raw energy and reggae fun. Neither of these bands ever fail to put on an incredible show.

You can check out Hor!zen's music at their MySpace page.

We hope to see you out at the show on Friday night.

-Logan

Lil’ Rock Stars go to Africa (Really, but not really)

2009-05-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today our Lil’ Rock Stars in Orlando got to go on a journey in another world that is very unfamiliar to their daily lives. They experienced a world of someone their age, or younger struggling with HIV/AIDS or living with the fear of being infected with the virus. Each child went through a different struggle that children their age face day to day in Africa. The fear of being raped and capturing the virus, the fear of being kidnapped from your family and being turned into a child soldier, the struggle of spending the entire day working for one meal, and many other tragic stories that children and families around the world face each day.

We took our Lil' Rock Stars to a World Vision experience through Africa at Discovery Church. The journey was a very eye opening experience not just for the children that came, but also our interns/volunteers that took the time out of their day to drive the kids to the church, make PB&J sandwiches for them, and experienced the journey with them too. One quote that really stuck with me after the experience was a quote after the prayer room that read:

“Help one individual, and you help an entire village.”

The Executive Director of the New Image Youth Center (Shanta), where our Lil’ Rock Stars go after school, made some very good points about them being more grateful for what they do have, and encouraging them to give back. They can give their old clothes, give some of the food they receive, give some of the toys they receive, and more. It’s inspiring to see the looks on the kids faces and the motivation to really give back to a child that is even worse off than them. Shanta made a great point how they are looked at as the Africa of Central Florida, but then zoned it in on how they don’t have it as bad, as a child in Africa, Haiti, South America, or any other third world country. Even thought they don’t have much, they can still make a difference in the world.

Those are the things I’d like to see being thought in the schools around the nation. By inspiring and motivating our youth from an early age that they can make a change, we can create a new world with less hunger, poverty, homelessness, and disease. It is important for those who have more than enough, to empower those who have little, and to encourage our neighbors that we can be anything we want if we put in the effort and time. We may not agree on everything, but if we can stand together every day as one community, we will change the world!

World Vision Video

Featured Artist of the Week: Social Ghost

2009-05-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

I am going to try to make this week's post as unbiased as possible. I must disclaim it, however, by expressing my love and admiration for this week's featured artist. For many years now, they have been my favorite local Orlando act - and they have only gotten better with time.

(Photo by: Alicia Lyman)

Social Ghost, the 3-piece pop rock blend of infectious melodies, odd time signatures and impeccable musicianship, are finally releasing their first full-length album, War Without a Gun, on Saturday night at their FREE CD Release Party at the House of Blues. The band has certainly come a long way since their conception. After a few lineup shakeups, somewhat of a style overhaul and the acquisition of a very reputable representing management agency, Social Ghost quickly became one of the most sought after and beloved rock groups in Central Florida. You might remember them from their stellar performances at RFH Fests 2 and 3, as well as an awareness show at BackBooth. Each and every time, in typical Social Ghost fashion, they blew the crowds away.

I had the pleasure of listening to the entire upcoming album a little early. Even after a week, it is still playing in my car, simply due to the fact that I cannot get enough of it. Songs like "Tomorrow" and "Stars" are perfect exemplifications of how radio rock songs should be constructed. They're short, precise and very very sweet. The entire album reminds me of an odd blend of Coheed and Cambria and recent Damiera (for those familiar).

I have my tickets to Saturday's show so I hope you get yours as well. Please attend and show your support for what could be the next big act to come out of Central Florida.

In the meantime, check out their music on their MySpace page.

-Logan

The Beginning of Helping Others [Stories of a Nonprofit CEO, pt.3]

2009-05-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Being able to teach something useful to someone is one of the most appreciated things I have ever done in life. It always brings joy to my face to see an individual grow and succeed based on the skills I have been able to pass along to them. I’m really looking forward to getting our financial training, and lifestyle design program started for Rock for Hunger this summer/fall. My first experience in really teaching others a useful skill was when I became a certified personal trainer. I know what you are thinking, I do not look like a personal trainer, or like I have ever been fit.

I actually ran my first triathlon about four years ago now. It’s amazing how fast time can go by when you are doing something you love. Be sure to appreciate every day of your life. Also, I trained a girl who turned pro in bodybuilding. Got her from 29% body fat, all the way to 12%. That is sick for a girl! (see the photo below).

I trained bodybuilders, professional athletes (trained a professional female soccer player who was offered to play for the Canadian Olympic team), rehabilitating clients from injuries, and the average every day person looking to loose weight. I’ve always been overweight and took an interest in fitness while I was working on becoming fit. It became so interesting to me that I started teaching others on how to loose weight and get in shape, and loved working with all the problem clients who had anything from knee surgeries to fibromyalgia, etc.

As my passion for helping individuals feel better about them, I went to being a pre-med student at UCF, which then eventually led to Rock for Hunger. More on the pre-med journey next week. It is so crazy how so many Americans love their jobs, and what they do, but one needs to be really careful not to let their job consume their life, and loose focus on one of the most important things: YOUR HEALTH!!! It was one of my greatest achievements to go from 235 lbs down to 185 lbs and being able to run a triathlon, and having abs! Now I’m up to close to 250 lbs, because of not taking time for myself, and not watching what I eat. Let’s make a commitment together to not only have fun and work hard at what we do, but to also work hard on eating well and keeping ourselves in shape. The healthier and fitter we are, the happier we can make others, and the even more successful we can be at what we love to do. Let’s get fit together, and let’s ROCK FOR HUNGER together!!!

Note: On Thursday I’ll post a basic fitness plan for the average person, and basic eating guidelines. You think what does this have to do with Rock for Hunger, everything! It’s these stories that have made us who we are today!

Chris Goyzueta, Executive Director of Rock for Hunger
Stories of a Nonprofit CEO, pt.003

Featured Artist of the Week: Astronautalis

2009-05-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Not many Rock for Hunger alumni artists are as creative as this week's Featured Artist. Astronautalis, Jacksonville's version of eclectic albino hip-hop, played a Rock for Hunger Spring Show a few years back. Needless to say, he blew BackBooth out of the water that night.

As an artist on Orlando's Fighting Records, Central Florida often has the pleasure of seeing Astronautalis perform live. This weekend is no exception since he will be appearing at "Orange You Glad Fest" on Sunday, May 17th at Will's Pub.

Make sure you check out Astronautalis's music by visiting his MySpace page or his website.

We hope to see you at the upcoming show.
You won't be disappointed.

-Logan

Living with Tourette's [Stories of a Nonprofit CEO pt.2]

2009-05-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

People always ask where the passion of helping other came from. I’ve always told them the story of me becoming a personal trainer. But I think it goes a lot further back then that. Since I was a little kid, I always had the desire of coming up with a natural cure for a neurological disorder I have called Tourette Syndrome (TS). The stereotype with TS is that we all curse and have vocal outbursts. Sometimes a foul word does slip from my mouth, but I assure it’s not the TS. Actually only 15% of individuals diagnosed with TS have vocal outbursts. As many as 10 per 1,000 children have TS or some kind of tic disorder. Some of the symptoms of TS include: throat clearing, coughing, eye blinking, facial movements, shoulder jerking, biting the inside of the cheek (that one can hurt!), lip smacking, neck jerking, and other body movements.

In my search for a cure for TS, I found out there are lots of powerful (and very scary) medications one can take, or many natural remedies. Either way, the symptoms of TS can not be cured. Symptoms can be diminished but never really disappear regardless of taking the method of medication or natural remedies. My philosophy always was to go with the natural remedies, rather than putting powerful chemicals in my body with many damaging side effects.

Instead of taking these powerful drugs here are some natural remedies one can take for TS: Meditation, Thai Chi, Yoga, Reading, acupuncture, massage, and other types of relaxation therapies.

The ticks and twitches from TS never really bothered me very much. What always bothered me was that other kids would pick on me, and make fun of my symptoms. Ever since, I wanted to be able to help other kids to not have to deal with these bullies by finding a cure for TS. Looks like life had a different plan for me. As my good friend Rae Rae Eddins always said, me going to medical school to find a cure for TS sounded to selfish and was totally not like me. So, here I am still trying to find a cure, but not to TS. Instead I’m battling each day of finding a peaceful solution to an even bigger problem: Hunger, Poverty, and Homelessness. Some say there is no cure for this one either, but I think those people have not yet seen what one person can do. Imagine what many people together can do. Together we can change the world! That is why it is important for us to “Be the change we want to see in the world (Ghandi).”

Chris Goyzueta, Executive Director of Rock for Hunger
“Stories of a Nonprofit CEO” pt. 002

- Check out the Tourette Syndrome Association of USA for more info

Music that Rocks ya Soul

2009-05-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Still awake and had one of those days or are you getting to work all stressed this morning? You need some feel good music that will Rock ya Soul! Take a listen to this version of “Stand by Me” from Playing for Change. Some true feel good music that will bring a smile to your day. "Music can Change the World, because Music can Change People" - Bono...

Featured Artist of the Week: Orange You Glad Fest Preview

2009-05-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Every so often, an event comes out of nowhere and takes their surrounding communities by storm. In Orlando, I just heard about the upcoming "Orange You Glad Festival," which will compete with the notorious Florida Music Festival the weekend of May 14th through May 17th. The event is run by the individuals behind Will's Pub and other surrounding Orlando venues.

Some of the artists playing the festival happen to be Rock for Hunger alumni. Acts like Thomas Wynn and Astronautilus have rocked our stages before. Most of the other acts, however, are equally as amazing. They just haven't performed at any of our events.

Some of the other bands performing are The Skirts, Andy Matchett, The Dark Romantics, The New Threat, History, and many many more.

The participating venues are Will's Pub, Redlight Redlight, Peacock Room, Uncle Lou's, and the intimate Stardust.

The question is: Will this festival have the legs to compete with FMF? We think so. Actually, let me change that.... we hope so.

Visit Orange You Glad on MySpace by clicking here.

-Logan

The Paths of Life - Stories of a Nonprofit CEO

2009-05-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it incredible how many different paths life can take you? Every choice we make changes the course of time forever. Even if we choose not to pick a way, we are going down a new road. Many of us go through life changing careers, relationships, course of study in college, and many other aspects of life. Then there are some that know exactly what they want to do, go for it, and never look the other way. Regardless of the path we take in life, we must make the choice to make the best of it. As I always say, “just say yes, and figure out how later.”

It’s crazy to think about the path I choose just three years ago when deciding to take on Rock for Hunger full time. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I choose the other road. Right now I could be sitting in a cadaver lab in my first year of medical school, learning about medicine and the different part of the human body, or I could be on the road full time shredding my guitar 250 days out of the year, or who knows what other possible roads of opportunities there were ahead of me. But instead I’m know the Executive Director of a grassroots nonprofit organization, and booking live music for the Plaza Theatre.

Some days I feel like I should be further along in life. But when I look at it this way, I could either be a struggling entrepreneur, studying 50+ hours a week, or be living life on the road trying to get my big break. Looks like either way I’m exactly in the right place and on my way up to something great. Wherever you are in life right now, it is important to always focus on your strengths, spend as much time with our loved ones as we can, and realize that today really is a great day. Because today is another new day for us to be able to accomplish anything we want. I can’t be a rock star, doctor, and nonprofit entrepreneur all at the same time, but today I can be the best nonprofit entrepreneur in the world. As one of my former great professors always said, there are three important things in life:

1.) Something to Do - “Focus on your passion and strengths in life”
2.) Someone to Love - “Always make time for those we love”
3.) Something to look forward to – “Stay focused on our goals every day, bad or good”

This is the start of a weekly column to take you through the Stories of a Nonprofit CEO. These are the stories of how Rock for Hunger came about and got to where we are now, and going to be week to week. Along the way I’ll teach you about some pretty cool and absolute random things I’ve experienced in life to make me who I am today. Hope you enjoy!

::Chris Goyzueta, Executive Director of Rock for Hunger::
“Stories of a Nonprofit CEO” pt. 1

Featured Artist of the Week: Monster Battle of the Bands

2009-04-30T18:24:00.001-07:00

After a few grueling months of competition, BackBooth's Monster Battle of the Bands is coming to a close this Saturday night, May 2nd. Thus far, the battle has served as an ideal way to find out who is the best and most beloved up and coming bands in Orlando. Winners are decided on by judges analyzing certain categories that cannot be disclosed at this time.

Saturday night will certainly be an entertaining event. Doors will open at 5:00pm and the performances will be contingent all night between 6:00 and 11:30pm. Eight bands of all different genres will compete in hopes to be crowned champions.

Below you will find the schedule and the links to all of the performing bands' MySpace pages:

6:00 - 6:25 Through the Wishing Well
6:40 - 7:05 Without Amusia
7:20 - 7:45 Johnny Plastic & the Rubberband
8:00 - 8:25 A Palace in Persia
8:40 - 9:05 Mirror Pal
9:20 - 9:45 Alex Baugh & the Crazy Carls
10:00 - 10:25 Made of Hemp
10:40 - 11:05 Great Deceivers

-Logan

Learning About Grants with Alan Grayson

2009-04-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

(photo by ronny-andre)

If you have talked to someone inside of Rock For Hunger in the past few weeks you will see that we have been entangled in "grant land." Chris and Logan have been going to information sessions and learning everything they possibly can on ways to help fund Rock For Hunger and the programs we are working on to empower and enlighten the homeless population in Orlando.

To this point I have decided to stay out of the action and take in what Chris and Logan pass on and offer my support. This week that all changed. I attended an event at the Lynx property downtown on Monday morning which included opening remarks from District 8 Representative Alan Grayson. Admittedly I do not know very much about the guy and didn't get too much insight from his brief 10-15 minute talk, but I do know that his team, especially Darren Vierday - the Grants Coordinator - are committed to helping building social responsibility through government funding, including the support of nonprofits.

So here is what I learned from the event and some things that you can possibly learn from them.

There are 4 types of Federal Grants

Categorical Grants (makes up 90% of grant money)
Block Grants (like it sounds - it groups items together and funds them all)
Entitlement Grants
General Revenue Sharing (stopped using in 1986)

Key Websites to Visit When Doing Grant Research in Orlando

www.grants.gov - where are the magic happens
www.recovery.gov - Details of the Stimulus Package
www.cfda.gov (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance)
www.afpcentralflorida.org - Association of Funding Professionals in Central Florida
www.gpninc.org - Grant Professionals Network of Central Florida

Other places to look for grants

The Grantsmanship Center
Philanthropy News Digest
Michigan State University Library - Direct link to Homeless/Housing

Quick Tips on Grant Writing Process

Stories win every time. Be sure to have a compelling story with a hero/villian - right/wrong - conflict/solution.
When writing you need to get specific as to what and how you are going to spend your money as possible. Include the actions necessary to make it happen, the manpower needed, instructions or training needed or provided and break it down so the lender know that it is going to work!
Funders love collaborations. By partnering with another organization you have great odds because you are helping to serve more people and the money can stretch further.
Make your budget part of your story (not sure what that means 2 days later, but I starred that sentence in my notes!)

So those are the notes from Congressman Grayson and the presenters from Monday's event. I will say that this is a little tougher than going the private donor route (even though that route has not been easy). If you would like to help Rock For Hunger continue to provide its current programs or help in the creation of our new initiatives please contact me and I will be sure to help you decide the right path and program to help support and build.

Also, we are looking for grant writers, copywriters and others for Summer Internships. Please drop us a line here to express interest in a summer internship to help the homeless of Orlando.

-Greg Rollett

Featured Artist of the Week: Hydrosonic

2009-04-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

This week’s Featured Artist has a history with our organization. They have not only supported our cause, but they also appeared at Rock for Hunger Fest 2 on the BackBooth stage. This highlighted band is definitely one of the local hard rock favorites. Their reputation has earned them a devoted fan base and a wealth of opportunities the band would have otherwise never received.

Can you guess the artist? Either way, you know we have to reveal who they are. Can you tell by the picture (Warning: Don’t scroll down yet)?

If you guessed Hydrosonic, congratulations you know your Orlando bands and your RFH Fest alumni.

Hydrosonic will have the pleasure of gracing the Real Rock Stage at next week’s EDBD event. This is an accomplishment that a few RFH alum have achieved, so we wish Hydrosonic the best of luck and a humbled congratulations.

If you are going to the event, please make sure you check out Hydrosonic on the small stage.

In the meantime, you can prepare for the show by checking out their MySpace page at:

http://www.myspace.com/hydrosonic

-Logan

Featured Artist of the Week: Passafire

2009-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Featured Artist is no stranger to Rock for Hunger. The band, Passafire, played played Rock for Hunger Fest 3 last November and has had a major impact on the interests of many RFH Committee members. There is no question they are a great band, but what are they all about?

Passafire is a four-piece Reggae-rock-dub band from Savannah, Georgia. Their music has been described as "If Incubus met Sublime." I actually think that that is a great comparison.

Passafire will return to Orlando on April 25th at BackBooth. As always, it should be a great show filled with immense energy. I hope you can make it out to see such a great band in concert.

Check out Passafire's music here:
http://www.myspace.com/passafire

-Logan

Bowl For Hunger Rocks Their Way to Helping the Homeless

2009-04-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

(raffle winners)

On Saturday, April 11th Rock For Hunger held its first ever Bowl-A-Thon ironically dubbed Bowl For Hunger. The event was organized and promoted by our inaugural intern class of 2009. The event was a great success, with much learned and much achieved.

We wanted to say thanks to a few cool groups that Rocked with us and lent a supporting hand:

A Gift For Teaching brought out a team and bowled their way into 2nd place
NEMA House sponsored a team of 3 homeless individuals who had smiles on their faces and spares in their frames by the end of the night! It was a great sight to see.
Altamonte Lanes helped us out and provided a great venue for the event (plus a Dale Earnhardt Jr. Commemorative Bowling Ball as our feature raffle prize!)

The winning bowling team consisted of Trina, Evan and Patrick - team name censored - who edged out the Psycho Strike - O's by 2 points!

(the winning team from left to right - Patrick, Evan and Trina)

The real winner of the event was the Orlando homeless community, where the awareness and funds raised will help Rock For Hunger develop the Talk 4 Hunger Program and continue to grow the lifestyle and career development training as past of the Dreams Center.

Thank you to all 14 teams that came out and helped us to continue to give dreams those in need in our hometown! Keep Rocking For Hunger and we'll see you tonight at the food sharing!

(Chris Goyzueta throws one down the lane to fight Poverty in Orlando, FL)

-Greg and the Rock For Hunger Staff

Featured Artist of the Week: Built To Be Broken

2009-04-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Built To Be Broken is one of those bands that you just have to love. Aside from being three of the nicest and most genuine guys to be around, they also happen to be very talented musicians, and therefore a very enjoyable band. After all, that is the reason we are highlighting them as a Featured Artist.

Over the past several months, Built To Be Broken has participated in the “I Rock for Hunger” Battle of the Bands,” as well as provided support to the cause since day one. They have done what they can to help out, considering the fact that they have been hard at work on their debut full-length album “The Reason To The Rhyme.” Coincidentally, the album drops locally this weekend at their CD Release Show at the Plaza Theatre.

“The Reason To The Rhyme” combines a positive message with melodic pop/rock music. In a way, the record is an all-inclusive culmination of the band’s entire existence thus far. While the album will release in Orlando this Saturday, April 11th, it won’t be available worldwide until the summer. Expect to hear a lot about the album leading up to another big show in the summer.

This show, however, will feature Rock for Hunger Fest Alums Black Ship Sky and Ambertone. So we’ll see you on Saturday, April 11th at the Plaza Theatre for the CD Release Party. It should be a fun one!

In the meantime, you can check out B2BB on their MySpace page here.

-Logan

Homeless Voice Trip: In Closing

2009-04-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Although I missed a day yesterday (Forgive me for I was extremely busy), I am finally getting around to posting the second and final part of my video tour of the Homeless Voice. In actuality, this is the third post related to my visit last week.

Hopefully, this series served as an enlightenment for the readers and allowed for everyone to see the value in what Sean and the Homeless Voice have created in South Florida. We are pleased to be working with them on our new street paper, "Talk 4 Hunger." But we are even more pleased to be able to call them our friends.

We look forward to the future.

-Logan

The Homeless Voice - Day 2

2009-04-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

(NOTE: This post is a continuation of yesterday's blog post)

On Saturday, I was invited back to the shelter for the “Making of the Homeless Voice” event. Everyone gets together for a spectacular meal (prepared by Billy) and the writers get in a room and piece the upcoming issue together. I was surprised to learn of the process and the staff’s dedication to put the issue together in less than 12 hours. It is a depiction of dedication and teamwork at most – revealing the team’s synergy and will to bounce ideas off one another to make the most entertaining piece of journalism possible. And they are very successful at that.

Unfortunately, I did not video Day 2. I decided to take everything in and concentrate on networking and learning more about the people. All in all, my trip to Ft. Lauderdale was extremely beneficial. There are so many things that I learned that I cannot reveal on this blog due to the secrecy of Talk 4 Hunger. We can’t reveal too much before our official street launch. What would be the fun in that?

As promised, the first part of my video tour of their facilities can be found below.

More footage to come tomorrow...

Be sure to check out the Homeless Voice at: http://www.homelessvoice.org

-Logan

The Homeless Voice Paper and Shelter

2009-04-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the pleasure to shadow Sean Cononie, the Founder and CEO of the Homeless Voice – One of the most heavily distributed street papers in the United States. Sean and the Homeless Voice are based out of Hollywood, Florida, where they not only provide the homeless with jobs selling the newspaper across all of South Florida, but also a place to stay, after turning the Homeless Voice headquarters into a homeless shelter over eleven years ago.

Sean’s creation has admittedly taken him by surprise. While he realized there was a void and a definitely need for what he has spawned, he couldn’t come to expect the roads it would lead him to and the additional opportunities that would quickly be established. Many years after conception, the Homeless Voice has become a staple on the streets of South Florida.

My first steps into the Homeless Voice shelter took me by surprise. After being greeted by numerous homeless people and discussing the reasoning behind my arrival with the once homeless receptionist, I could quickly determine that this entire place was operated by the homeless. At first, this notion pleased me greatly, but after battling a few language barriers, I couldn’t help but question the job placement. After a few minutes, I was escorted upstairs to be greeted by Sean himself. Much to my surprise, he was covered in paint, sporting a green t-shirt and athletic shorts. His attire did not come anywhere close to matching the professionalism of my collared shirt and jeans that I was sporting.

Sean brought me to his office and sat me down forewarning me that we will take a tour at the end of our discussion. Before long, I was introduced to the only three paid employees in the facility that were never homeless in their lives. Like I said before, the entire place is run by the homeless tenants who adore the family that has been established in the shelter.

My selfish goal of my visit was to pick Sean’s brain about the secrets to starting a paper, dealing with the city officials and avoiding legal issues along the way. Needless to say, I walked away from the meeting feeling very empowered. Although I forgot to bring along my trusty pen and notepad, my “Notes” app on my iPhone was completely filled with useful information.

I was very delighted with Sean’s will to help Rock for Hunger and subsequent street paper Talk 4 Hunger. According to him, he has helped launch five street papers across the nation over the last several years. We are pleased to be added to the list.

After our lengthy discussion, Sean rushed to the bed that he calls him “Home” next to his office. He claims that he rarely gets to go to his house, and in this instance, he was working without sleep for 48 consecutive hours. I could reveal the truth in this when he would close his eyes for a brief moment as I spoke to him. This coupled with the paint all over his body made him look miserable, but it’s his job and intentions that keep him chipper throughout the day.

Sean’s much needed nap dubbed Billy, Sean’s Assistant, as my tour guide for the day. In the video tomorrow, you will see everything from my point-of-view. Billy showed me the rooms, the people, the kitchen, the clothing shop and everything else existing in the two-story building. Billy, who also doubles as the shelter’s chef most days, spent a lot of time showing me the kitchen where I got to taste test his famous marinara sauce for the next day’s festivities.

The video and more information to come on day 2 tomorrow…

In the meantime, here is a video of Sean and the Homeless Voice gathering individuals from the cold outside.

-Logan

Featured Artist of the Week: Swamburger

2009-04-04T15:37:00.001-07:00

If you walk around Downtown Orlando often, there is no question that you have seen this week's Featured Artist. This man, not only is recognized as a leader in the local hip-hop scene, but also is a respected painter, writer and talented businessman. As the "front-man" of Sol.illaquists of Sound, the artist known as "Swamburger" has become a local celebrity and a staple in Orlando's undiscovered culture.

Swam will be hosting his "B-Day Bash" at the Social's Phat-N-Jazzy this coming Tuesday night, April 7th. The show will feature Wow the Crowd, Skip, a solo set by Beef Wellington and a special performance by Swam' s bandmate DiViNCi.

Swam's music can best be heard as part of S.O.S. and their music can be explored on their MySpace page.

More information on next week's show can be found on the flyer posted below.

-Logan

Our Trip to the Science Center

2009-04-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

It was very exciting to launch a new Rock for Hunger program this past Saturday. We have started the Rock for Hunger Kids: Field Trip program. The goal is to take less fortunate children out of their community and daily routines, and take them to a positive environment filled with the ability to learn new things, have fun, and feel that they are cared for. There are over 331,000 individuals in Central Florida who live at or below poverty line, and are suffering from hunger. Of those 25% are children, which equals over 82,000 children in Central Florida. Did you by any chance go to Wrestle Mania, or ever been to a Sold Out UCF Football game? Imagine the Florida Citrus Bowl during Wrestle Mania, or two Sold Out UCF Football stadiums. This is the number of children in Central Florida’s tri county area (Osceola, Orange, and Seminole) that are hungry and growing up in poverty. Most of those children are not able to focus in school due to lack of nutrition. 90% of them will continue the cycle of poverty from one generation to the next. Due to their struggle in school, a lot of times they are know as the trouble makers in school. They are the ones that don’t get to go on field trips, or whose schools loose the funding for filed trips, music classes, or even sports.

However, change is beginning to happen with the rise of new nonprofit organizations such as a Gift for Teaching/A Gift for Music, numerous after school programs, and much more. In order for these organizations to sustain, we need you to take action and tell your friends about these programs donate $5, volunteer 2 hours. Every little bit can go a long way.

This past Saturday we went on our first field trip and it was an absolute blast. The kids were running around the science center, laughing, learning, and at the end of the day were very appreciative of their experience. It was one of the most amazing things we have ever done, and hope to continue taking these kids on a field trip each month. We already have one potential donor who wants to sponsor one field trip per quarter. To help provide more field trips to our kids, please contact me: chris@rockforhunger.org.

Find more videos like this on Rock for Hunger

Show and Tell with A Gift For Teaching

2009-03-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, some of the Rock For Hunger crew were very fortunate to visit Show and Tell at A Gift For Teaching in Orlando, FL. It was a luncheon and tour of their facility that showed us some of the majors faults of the current education system and the needs that teachers, students and parents have to get our children properly educated.

At the end of the tour, we were given the opportunity to shop around their retail store, collecting items for hypothetical situations of real world teachers. Upon completion, Melissa, one of our friendly tour guides, tallied up our shopping and allowed us to see the savings these teachers were seeing when they visited the store.

Some of out totals were pretty eye opening. The value of my items totaled $331.76, Patrick O'Brien whipped up close to $500 and even Chris managed to total in $462 worth of school supplies and Logan would have dropped $471 in a similar situation.

Some of our team stayed behind to talk about A Gift For Music, another program under the Gift For Teaching umbrella. Preliminary talks have some Orange County classical musicians opening up Rock For Hunger 4!

If you have children growing up in the Central Florida school system, you know that times are hard, and they are getting harder. Schools are being shut down, programs and activities are being cut and many children cannot afford basic supplies such as paper and pens.

With Rock For Hunger, we know that in order to cure poverty we need to start with education. Our tutors and meals program had its first field trip on Saturday (Chris will be giving a full recap tomorrow) and the glow in the kids eyes is something that we are very proud of. In order to grow our community, improve technology and innovation - we need to help our community out, grow together and help our neighbors.

If you are affected by the education system, I urge you to visit A Gift For Teaching, and see the difference this organization has made in 10 years in Orlando.

A Gift For Teaching Website
A Gift For Teaching on Twitter

Thanks for Rocking For Hunger Orlando!

-Greg Rollett

p.s. - get ready to Bowl For Hunger Orlando. Next Saturday, April 11th we will be showcasing our amazing bowling skills in an effort to raise over $1,000 for our developing programs including Talk 4 Hunger, Dreams Center Development and our Children's Educational Programs. Register here now!

Bowl For Hunger - April 11th - Altamonte Lanes

2009-03-30T06:17:00.001-07:00

(Click on picture to enlarge)

*Update - Register your team right here, right now!*

Rock For Hunger has been branching out in the last few months thanks in part to an awesome pool of volunteers and interns that have stepped up and decided to make an impact in the Orlando community. The Spring Interns have been working very hard and are very excited to throw their first official event, Bowl For Hunger! The event is a play on a Bowl-A-Thon which will take place on Saturday, April 11th at the Altamonte Lanes in Altamonte Springs, FL.

Check out the official press release below!

Anyone can think of an idea, but few make it a reality. Rock for Hunger started off as an idea and a community project by a group of UCF students and now these students have become leaders in the Central Florida community by providing a voice for the homeless through music and peace, one person at a time. Today, Rock for Hunger is a 501 c (3) nonprofit organization that inspires large groups of local supporters and volunteers to feed over two hundred individuals every week. Rock for Hunger also develops tutoring programs for at-risk students and works to create job training and housing programs for the Central Florida homeless community. The results have significantly influenced many homeless individuals to overcome their hardships, giving them hope for the future

This year, on Saturday, April 11th 2009, Rock for Hunger is hosting its First annual Bowl-A-Thon at Altamonte Lanes in Altamonte Springs, FL at 7pm. Events includes live acoustic music and a silent auction. Bowl for Hunger will give the people of Central Florida the opportunity to help raise money for The Dream Center, a place where the homeless can receive financial and career training, learn about Rock for Hunger, and most importantly, the opportunity to provide education, food, jobs, and more to those struck by poverty. Our goal is to raise over $1000 for Rock for Hunger. The price is $25 per team of three or $10 for individuals. This is a new year with new history being made, so be a part of the spirit of change by giving back to your community. Come out and join the fun to make a difference and support Rock for Hunger’s efforts in spreading awareness about homelessness and poverty in Central Florida through music and peace.

What: 1st Annual Bowl For Hunger 2009
Who: Rock for Hunger
Where: Altamonte Lanes
280 Douglas Ave
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
When: Saturday April 11th 2009

For more information, please visit: www.rockforhunger.org or greg@rockforhunger.org.

I hope to get electronic sign-up sheets online this afternoon so you can start getting your team of 3 ready to Rock, er, Bowl For Hunger!

We are also looking for lane sponsors. If you know anyone that would like to sponsor this event, sponsor packages start at $50, which in Rock For Hunger economics can feed up to 200 people or send 5 children on a learning excursion to create and inspire dreams! Send an email to greg@rockforhunger.org.

-Greg Rollett

Featured Artist of the Week: Fireflight

2009-03-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people don't give Orlando enough credit. Our city's image has been tarnished alongside the reputation of boy bands and mouse ears. But what most out-of-towners don't understand is that we have a culture of art, quality music and creative-minded individuals that allow us to be able to compete with some of the most reputable cities in the nation.

When you think of popular bands that came from Orlando you think Shinedown, Backstreet Boys, Dark New Day, and obviously many more. My point is that a lot of great and successful acts don't get attributed back to Orlando, leaving our undesirable reputation in tact.

Fireflight is one of the those overlooked groups. Hailing from Orlando, they are arguably one of the most talented artists that have ever come out of Central Florida. Right now, they are capitalizing on their markets with amazing new material and hitting the road on an aggressive tour with Pillar.

Fireflight may be self-classified as a "Christian" band, but don't let that let you pigeonhole them. Without the public identification, an average would just be able to point out their positive messages in their songs. Regardless, they are a solid female-fronted act that is only going to continue moving upward in the industry.

On Sunday night, March 29th, Fireflight will be at the Plaza Theatre with Pillar. Visit theplazatheatre.com for more information and listen to Fireflight on their MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/fireflight

Featured Artist of the Week: Alex Baugh and the Crazy Carls

2009-03-19T12:57:00.001-07:00

Ever since we heard about Alex Baugh and the Crazy Carls, we have become huge fans of the band. Already, the band has performed at multiple RFH events, including November's RFH Fest 3 at the Plaza Theatre (where he had the entire second stage dancing - he even had girls dancing on stage with him).

He is a performer to say the least. And the band is solid and polished. They have managed to build a strong following in the reggae world within their short lifespan thus far in Central Florida.

On Saturday night, Alex Baugh and the Crazy Carls will be performing at the Social as an opening act to Spiritual Rez. Doors are at 9:00. Show should start at around 1o:00.

-Logan

Featured Artist of the Week: Spring Show Preview

2009-03-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night, BackBoot h will host one of the most highly anticipated Rock for Hunger events ever. With a headlining act of There For Tomorrow, a supporting performance by Senate, the hype of Sound Cannon and the opening flows of G-Ro & the Sneakers, it is sure to be a memorable night.

All of tomorrow's performers have been recognized as Featured Artists of the Week on this blog. In order for you to review more information on each of them, I have provided each act's picture, webpage, and link to their honor as Featured Artists.

There For Tomorrow
http://www.myspace.com/therefortomorrow
http://blog.rockforhunger.org/2009/02/featured-artist-of-week-there-for.html

Senate
http://www.myspace.com/senatebandonline
http://blog.rockforhunger.org/2009/03/featured-artist-of-week-senate.html

Sound Cannon
http://www.myspace.com/soundcannon
http://blog.rockforhunger.org/2009/02/featured-artist-of-week-sound-cannon.html

G-Ro & The Sneakers
http://www.myspace.com/grobreakn
http://blog.rockforhunger.org/2008/07/featured-artist-of-week-skateboard.html

The show starts at 7pm. Tickets are only $10 a piece. Every ticket feeds 40 people.
You better be there!
-Logan

A Gift For Music + Nonprofit Social Media

2009-03-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

It is not everyday that I stumble upon local nonprofits that are kicking butt with social media. In the hunger and homeless department there are 2 shining stars, NOMSA and the Coalition for the Homeless. They both use Twitter, Facebook and other new media tools to connect with their volunteers, find supporters and donors and address situations, problems and accomplishments.

Today, I got wind of another long standing nonprofit in the Orlando community, A Gift For Teaching.

Brief history: What began in 1998 from our founder Gary Landwirth as a way to recycle unwanted or surplus supplies from businesses has grown into tri-county-wide operation distributing more than $35,000 worth of school supplies and incentives daily to our community's highest-need schools and classrooms for FREE.

As they began to grow and enhance their services, A Gift For Music was born. The program essentially gives children the opportunity to play a stringed instrument, gain instruction and perform for a live audience with their peers and professionals. What a program!

Check out a video of the program here:

For a full run down of what A Gift For Teaching is up to online visit them in the following new media places:

Twitter
Blog
Vimeo
YouTube
Facebook Causes

This is a very cool group and maybe one day Rock For Hunger can help with their music program and share rock star dreams with the children. Anyway, have a great weekend and get ready to really Rock For Hunger next Thursday at the Spring Show. (Buy tix here - they are almost gone!)

-Greg Rollett

Interview With Badspade - Spring Concert Sponsor

2009-03-05T10:17:00.001-08:00

Hey guys. We are getting very, very close to the Rock For Hunger Spring Show and things are getting exciting. If you have not bought your ticket yet, I strongly urge you to do so before the weekend ends as they are selling faster than any Rock For Hunger show we have had in the past. Grab them at Park Ave CD's, Park Ave Jr or get them right now here.

Ok, on to a really cool partner we are thrilled to be showcasing at the Spring Show. Badspade first hung out with Rock For Hunger at RFH Fest 3 this past November as a vendor and believes in our cause so much that they are coming back for more. I had the privilege of asking him a few questions about the clothing line and what the significance of supporting the community means to them. Check out what Sam had to say:

RFH: Can you tell us about the history of Badspade?

Sam: Badspade as its known today was created many years ago. It all started while I was in the Navy, I met my now life long friend Kevin Harris While Playing Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2. The opening song was The Ace of Spades By Motorhead, We would play that game non stop in the common area singing that song at the top of our lungs. People would come in and challenge us swearing they were the best at the game and would soon walk away with their tails tucked between their legs, ego Scared for life after watching the millions upon millions of points racked up in one trick.

So needless to say Kevin was the GoodSpade and I was the Badspade. Sort of a Yin Yang twins scenario.

That is were it all started But as the years went on I started down the path of graphic design and he suggested I start my own Shirt company. And Badspade Was born.

RFH: You attend a lot of local events as a vendor. How important is building up a local following to you and your business?

Sam: Local following is one of the most important values you can have, Its all about branding. When someone on the street and see's your Logo on a sticker or a sign and they think BADSPADE, then you know you are doing it right. When people know who you are and that the quality of your product is awesome there is no greater feeling.

RFH: The Spring Show is going to be your second appearance at a Rock For Hunger event, what draws you to the cause, the shows and makes you want to be a part of it?

Sam: Well first off, All of the money goes to a good cause. It hurts to know that there are people out there suffering. Often when things get tough in life I look at what I have and Know that it really isn't that bad because people are out there right now that have nothing.
I think deep down everyone wants to help others, but they don't know how. This event is working to stamp out hunger. Even if they have no place to go, they can get a good meal. So that makes me feel really good. It is important to be there so that people know BADSPADE wants to help.

Secondly Meeting new and interesting people is the best, I love the many interesting people i meet on these events.

RFH: Anything cool you can share with us about Badspade - new shirts, designs, upgrades, etc?

Sam: Rock For Hunger will be on my birthday(28 years) But I will be giving out the presents instead of getting them. I will have some Give away Shirts at this show, they were actually from my first design of shirts that did not work out the way i had planned. They printed them on the wrong shirt blanks so I have been cutting the sleeves off and giving away the "Pirate Edition Shirt" LOL. But as with any give away I only have a few so get em while their hot.

I have a lot of great new designs ready to hit the market, I am actually working on a girls clothing line up for the spring.

I also have some other great idea's for some designer jackets and hoodies. I am also going to be doing some Limited Edition shirts. So a lot of things are coming down the pipeline but i can't give out too many details just yet, so stay tuned.

RFH: How do you see your growth in the coming months? Are you looking to sponsor bands, athletes, etc? Take the show on the road?

Sam: I am Always excited about the growth of the company, In the next couple of months I plan on releasing some exclusive Limited Edition Shirts, only 50-100 shirts will be printed in a particular style. I am always looking to sponsor bands and athletes to help push the brand and promote the line. Only I don't know any bands or athletes lol. So if you know any, Send them my way.

I'd like to thank Sam for his time and also his support of Rock For Hunger. Please grab a shirt and rock it around the city. You will feel good knowing that you supported a local company with great products and outstanding morals. See you all on Thursday!

For more information on Badspade, please visit their website.

-Greg Rollett

Featured Artist of the Week: Senate

2009-03-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

They might sound a lot like 311, but since when is that a bad thing? This week's Featured Artist, Senate, a band that recently signed to the Orlando label Fuel Records, will be gracing the BackBooth stage on March 12th for the Rock for Hunger Spring Show.

Some may know Senate by their previous name, First Hit, where they started out as a 311 cover band. Since those days, the guys wrote original tunes, traded out a band member, and changed their name. Despite the similarities to 311, there is no denying that the band has raw talent and a knack for quality songwriting.

Check out their music on their MySpace by clicking here.

We hope to see everyone out at BackBooth next Thursday, March 12th to witness There for Tomorrow, Karrigan, and Sound Cannon share the stage with this week's Featured Artist.
-Logan

the Week in Rock for Hunger

2009-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

We have lots going on with the first annual UCF Rock for Hunger week. Throughout the week check the blog for flyers to all the cool events we have going, and to help fundraise for Rock for Hunger!

MONDAY-FRIDAY 3pm-6pm Tutors & Meals
Come join Angela and the kids at the New Image Youth Center and tutor less fortunate children in the Parramore area of Downtown Orlando. For more info contact Angela Griner: angelagriner@gmail.com

MONDAY – Chicken Day at Huey Magoo’s!
Grab a flyer and stop by Huey Magoo's for some tasty chicken and they will donate portion of your purchase of a meal + drink to Rock for Hunger! We will post the flyers as soon as we get them so stay tuned! Stop in between 6pm-9pm

MONDAY – Weekly Food Sharing
Join us for our weekly Food Sharing down at Lake Eola from 6:45pm-8:15pm. I will be back this week!!! We meet at the corner for Robinson and Eola Dr across from Panera Bread. For more info send an e-mail to: chris@rockforhunger.org.

TUESDAY – Open Mic & Beer at Underground Bluz UCF
Where could you go to have a cold drink, listen to good music and support Rock for Hunger? Underground Bluz on Tuesday night! Come by Open Mic Night starting at 10 and say hi to Rock for Hunger! Underground Bluz is located on the corner of Alafaya Trail and University Blvd.

WEDNESDAY – TALK 4 HUNGER Release Party/Rock for Hunger Tweet up!
Join us for free beer, wine and finger food at the Endagon Headquarters in Downtown Orlando from 6pm-7:30pm at 37 N. Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32803. Come meet local Orlando gen-y and community leaders, and learn about Talk 4 Hunger.

WEDNEDSAY – Hmmm Get you Baked Goods!
Who loves baked goods? Everyone. So you should go to Rock for Hunger's bake sale and satisfy your sweet tooth. We are coming to the UCF campus so be sure to give yourself a break from studying for midterms, find us (location is TBD) and get a little sugar to boost your day!

THURSDAY – Eat at UNO’s Pizzeria!
Start your Spring Break celebration early! Bring a flyer to Uno's Chicago Grill (on University) and they are donating a portion of your meal to Rock for Hunger! Hang out in the lounge and challenge your friends to a game of Buzztime Trivia while supporting Rock for Hunger at the same time! What could be better? UNO’s is donating 10% of your sales all day long when you bring a flyer.

FRIDAY – HAVE AN AWESOME SPRING BREAK!!!

SATURDAY – Board of Directors Meeting 10am-11:30am

Featured Artist of the Week: Sound Cannon

2009-02-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

This week's Featured Artist has become one of the most beloved young bands in Central Florida within the past year. The reasons for their sudden popularity are plentiful, and their excellence extends beyond any listener's human senses.

The band is SOUND CANNON.

At first listen, anyone would be struck enough to acknowledge the raw musical talents laced within. The vocals are solid, the rhythm section is tight, and that guitarist..... he shreds! The listener would be extremely surprised to find out that guitarist Jared Hara is not only a young man, but he is also blind. His remarkable talent must be seen to be believed. He is truly incredible!

Their current show schedule lends itself to their extremely hard work. On Saturday, February 28th for instance, Sound Cannon is playing two shows. They are playing during the day at the Black Box Collective and that night at the Haven.

Most importantly, however, Sound Cannon will be playing this year's Rock For Hunger Spring show on March 12th at BackBooth. Just in case you have to be reminded, they will be appearing with There for Tomorrow, G-Ro and the Sneakers, Senate and Karrigan.

Get your tickets today!
You can check out Sound Cannon's MySpace here: http://www.myspace.com/soundcannonband
-Logan