Boot & Saddle Benefit, with Tigers Jaw and Dock Street Brewery, Helps Reduce Homeless Count By One
At the beginning of December my friend Ben called and said, “Hey, Rob. My band, Tigers Jaw, is doing a fundraising show at Boot & Saddle. I’ve loved hearing about the work you do and I was wondering if we could make Pathways the cause we’re supporting.” That’s how Pathways to Housing PA got connected to the first annual Peace & Noise fundraising series put on by Boot & Saddle. I had no idea what it would be like, what would come from it, or how many people and businesses would come together to help support the work Pathways to Housing PA does every day.
When I showed up to Boot & Saddle I was greeted by Candice, a staff member and one of the people who coordinated the event. She explained that she and Gina, the General Manager, had an idea to get some bands together to help raise money since this time of year is kind of slow for touring acts. For this series of shows they reached out to three headlining bands and asked them to identify charities to support. Tigers Jaw selected PTHPA to support. If you’d like to do the same you can click here.
But it wasn’t just Ben and Brianna’s band that wanted to support our work. There were the bands Cave People and Captain We’re Sinking who also played. And it couldn’t have happened without Candice, Gina, Jeff and the rest of the crew at Boot & Saddle. Candice explained they had made Peace and Noise t-shirts and buttons and their proceeds were also going towards Pathways to Housing PA. Then she introduced me to Marilyn and Rich from Dock Street Brewery. They and Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. had each donated beers for the event and all proceeds from their sale were going towards PTHPA. As I spoke with the people that helped make this event happen and to those who came to see the bands play I was reminded that people want to do good.
We might not know where to start, but most everyone is looking for a way to make a positive impact on the world. Systemic issues of oppression are overwhelming, but when we find trustworthy and good causes it helps clear the way. Then, when people access the resources at hand, things that may not seem like that big of a deal to them, something big begins to happen. Candice and Gina used their connections with bands, breweries, and a venue – things they are around every day. It’s made a huge impact on the lives of our participants through Peace and Noise 2017.
Tangibly, through ticket sales the bands helped move one person off the street and into an apartment – taking those first steps out of homelessness. With merch and beer sales we can estimate Boot & Saddle, Dock Street, and Neshaminy Creek raised enough to furnish four bedrooms and kitchens for people moving into new units. By connecting some dots, Peace and Noise brought real change to real people’s lives – with the lasting effect of moving Philadelphians out of homelessness and into a home.
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About the Author
Rob Wetherington heads up our Community Integration Department. His leadership, vision and passion are making that department one of the coolest places to be at Pathways to Housing PA. To read more about Rob and his team, check in with our blog later this month.
