Thievery Corporation Helps the Effort to End Global Hunger

WFP has a long standing relationship with the techno band, Thievery Corporation.  From a low-profile underground band from Washington, DC to the Grammy’s, Thievery has enjoyed a large amount of success.  

 

The band has been a sponsor of WFP since 2005.  Rob Garza of the band said, "Hunger is something basic, really elemental, that transcends boundaries around the world."  Rob has been fortune to go on trips to Kenya, Sudan and Nepal with WFP to see their operations up close.

 

Thievery was back in their hometown of Washington, DC from Tuesday, 1/27 to Saturday, 1/31 and were welcomed by five straight sold out crowds.  WFP’s Washington, DC office and staff members from Friends of WFP helped raise awareness about global hunger by passing out flyers to everyone who came to the show.  Thievery Corporation also printed fill the cup pins and sold them for $1 with all proceeds going to WFP and people donated as we posted their picture on the wall against hunger.

 

I had the pleasure to be there two nights and people were really receptive to WFP as I was talking to people at the door.  Over the five nights WFP was able to raise $1,130 and sign up 75 people interested in getting involved.  As it cost only $50 to feed a child for a whole year, this money will be able to feed 21 children for the year. 

 

Help the effort again hunger.  Please donate now. 

 

Brian J. Ward

Outreach Associate

Friends of WFP

Music for Mankind® Meets Friends of the World Food Program

Over the years I've performed music with many bands and as a solo musician. During that time I have performed in prisons, hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, both large and small. And, having learned a lot about all of the technical aspects of theatre, concerts, film and television, and after many years of local volunteer work in baseball, theatre and concert production, I wanted to find a way to use my music to help in a bigger way.

I had become aware of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) through some friends, and realized one night that I could set up my concerts in such a way to be able to contribute from those concerts to WFP. 

I emailed WFP Headquarters late on a Friday night, and told them my plan. To my delightful surprise, the next Monday morning at 9 AM Margot Hoerrner was on the phone to me from Washington, DC telling me how excited she was with my plan. I was completely impressed both with her immediacy in responding so quickly, and her total enthusiasm for my idea. And so Music For Mankind®, a series of benefit concerts with proceeds being contributed to Friends of WFP and other humanitarian organizations for disaster relief around the world, was born.

And the program has grown. We have not only performed many concerts and contributed money from the ticket sales, contributions and merchandise sales, but I have released a new CD, "Silently Hoping" and will be contributing proceeds from those sales to Friends of WFP. The CD is available on iTunes, Rhapsody and many other online stores, as well as www.musicformankind.net  

I'm very pleased with the CD. The trip to Nicaragua touched my heart and I wrote two songs for the CD, "Silently Hoping" and "Hope", and dedicated the CD to the children of Nicaragua. It's an experience I'll not ever forget, and I'm working on a documentary video of the trip and WFP's efforts there. There is a short trailer of that video on my website www.musicformankind.net, and I include that in my presentations that I do about Music For Mankind® for colleges, churches and corporations.

I continue to be totally impressed with Friends of WFP, and their enthusiasm for my efforts, and am so grateful and honored that I can help in this way.