This is a departure from The Five Abilities® but it’s very important to all of us. You can help homeless families have a warm holiday by buying children’s music.
We’re selling the album, The Little Things by Friends of the Family, through CD Baby and iTunes. All proceeds go to Vision House—a ministry that provides transitional housing and rapid rehousing to homeless families with kids. CDs cost $12.97—downloads cost $9.99. Retailers give us $9.00 for each album sold, all of which goes to Vision House on whose board I’m privileged to serve.
(Note: USA Today wrote, “Friends of the Family are just the people you want to have on a long car trip. They travel well.”)
How it helps. $20 provides a night of safety, support services, and care for one child. $60 provides for a whole family. Three album downloads provides a safe, warm night for a child with money left over. Seven downloads and you provide a night of safety and warmth for an entire family. They make great holiday gifts.
The Homeless Plight
Seattle has the third largest homeless population in the country and many are families with children. The only US cities that have larger homeless populations are Los Angeles and New York City. It’s unbelievable that cities such as these have thousands of kids living on the streets but it’s happening.
Who are these people? In Seattle, homeless people have full-time jobs, they pay taxes, and many serve us in restaurants, hospitals and other places that would surprise you. Unfortunately, these people encounter challenges that could hit any of us.
One day they’re your neighbor—the next they become ill or injured and are wiped out by medical bills. They are laid off engineers and manufacturers. They’re full-time workers who can no longer afford the soaring cost of housing and childcare. They end up living in cars, on friend’s couches, or on the street. They’re just like you and me but with unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances.
Friends of the Family
For those who follow my blog you know that I worked as a professional musician to pay for college and I continued after graduation. I quickly learned that I didn’t have the talent to run with the incredible musicians I met in Los Angeles. But it wasn’t totally out of my blood because in 1994 I wrote and recorded a children’s music album so my kids could remember what I sang to them at night.
I entered the studio intending to record just me and my guitar but instead hired 22 musicians (Friends of the Family) and a producer to create a radio-ready album. I had a great job with Hewlett-Packard so the purpose of selling the album was purely to raise money for children’s causes such as Seattle Children’s Hospital whose surgeons saved our son’s life by repairing his defective heart.
We were blessed because as we recorded there was a brewing trend by well-known artists who were producing what Kenny Loggins called, “children’s music that’s for parents too.” Popular artists like Loggins, Nicolette Larson, Carly Simon, and others, were releasing so much material that it created a new music genre highlighted in publications such as Billboard, USA Today, and Family Fun Magazine. It spawned national radio stations like Radio AAHS and Disney Radio. It created new opportunities for unknown composers like me, to get national radio play, do shows at Disneyland, and to sell music. Right time—right place—a blessing that we’re passing on.
Feed homeless children by buying children’s music. 100% of the proceeds go to Vision House (http://vision-house.org/otherwaystohelp/). Please pass this on. Thank you for your generosity. Happy Holidays.
©2016 Rick Wong, The Five Abilities® LLC
