A message from Josh:
I've been thinking about this for a long time, and excited to finally roll out our first year of merging our MUSIC with CHARITY.
There is something special about the music community at large - everyone we have met throughout the United States and abroad all seem to be cut from a similar cloth. The common bonds of empathy, gratitude and a deeper existence truly are a constant within the music community and arts community at large. With that said, I have always wanted to make the commerce of music about something deeper as well. I wanted to make the commerce of music about HELPING those in need and making a POSITIVE IMPACT on our world.
Starting this year, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal will choose an annual charitable beneficiary that makes a deep and lasting impact within specific communities. Each year, HALF of all our merchandise sales at LIVE SHOWS will go to HELP our fellow brothers and sisters.
I'm proud to announce that in 2020, our first Charitable Beneficiary will be the American Indian College Fund!
In our travels, we have seen many places and met many people from all over our country. And as I thought about who would be our first beneficiary, my thoughts came back again and again to our native population. The challenges and historical injustices that our native population face are an ongoing dilemma. The American Indian College Fund mission is to invest in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities.
President and CEO, Cheryl Crazy Bull (Sicangu Lakota), writes that only 14% of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) age 25 and older have a college degree — less than half of that of other groups in the United States. This reflects the college access and completion crisis amongst Native peoples today. The American Indian College Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, helps Native people meet their full potential by helping them access higher education. But financial support is not enough. The College Fund also provides Native students with the tools, programs, and support they need to succeed.
The results are worth it. A higher education is equated with improved rates of employment, self-esteem, and health outcomes, creating a healthier and happier future for individuals, families, and communities.
My work in my near 40-year education career is inspired by the TCU founders’ vision to serve the entire community. When I attend a TCU graduation, I see young people who entered college from high school, students who earned a GED and stayed to get a certificate or degree, and older students who spent years pursuing a degree while working and raising a family. With your support, we can provide even more Native students with a higher education and the tools they need to build a bright future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Find more information here: https://collegefund.org/
We hope that our fans and friends join us in this mission to HELP our COMMUNITIES throughout the country in years to come. I also personally hope this may inspire others we know in the creative class to merge your art with charity. In a world that is increasingly US against THEM, I truly hope we can focus on the US.
Josh Hoyer