By Bruce Kidd of Concerts for a Cause
Several years ago I read a quote attributed to John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, that read “do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, for as long as you can”. To me, that quote describes perfectly the traits of a Servant Leader.
I have lived in the Indianapolis area my entire life and I have been very fortunate and blessed to work around some very talented business leaders in our community. Men and women who have built successful companies or led organizations of all kinds. What became apparent to me a decade ago, was the vast majority of those successful executives had one important trait in common. They felt a responsibility and obligation to give back to our community – to help those less fortunate. They were Servant Leaders.
They, and their organizations, are the foundation of the compassionate corporate community that I believe is one of the major reasons this city is such a special place to live, work and raise a family. “Hoosier hospitality” is much more than how we treat visitors to our city; it is also how we come to the aid of those fellow citizens in need time and time again. We are a community of Servant Leaders and there is no greater good.
We created Concerts for a Cause in 2016 as a way to support small, local Not For Profits that are providing invaluable services and support to kids, adults and families in need, but that often struggle to raise the amount of financial support they need. To date our 16 concerts have been attended by over 3500 people and their generous support has allowed us to donate over $230,000 to 15 different organizations.
The COVID 19 pandemic has forced us all into isolation for a long period. Most importantly, it created a very difficult challenge for the thousands of individuals and families living in poverty or homeless in our community. Many of them dealing with hunger and not knowing where their next meal might come from.
COVID 19 also forced us to postpone our upcoming April 25th Concert. So, since people couldn’t come to our event to enjoy live music, our CFAC Board of Directors decided to deliver the music to them through a series of live streaming concerts to anyone in our community. These “Carry Out Concerts” feature talented local artists every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. We stream live performances from their homes into yours at no cost. Our gift to anyone who needs a break from the isolation blues.
We also wanted to help feed the at-risk individuals and families in Indy. At each Carry Out Concert, we are partnering with some outstanding local food entrepreneurs to prepare and deliver quality meals to at-risk citizens. Our text to give campaign at each Carry Out Concert has been embraced by all of the artists and everyone who has logged in to enjoy the concerts. Our goal is very simple – do as much good for as many people as we can for as long as we need to. Every dollar donated goes to feed fellow Hoosiers.
Future Carry Out Concerts are scheduled for May 12th, 14th, 19th, 21st and 26th. We welcome more people to join us for some great live music with an important purpose. To join in the fun, simply go to www.indyconcertsforacause.org and click on the Carry Out Concert series. Thanks to everyone for your Servant Leadership. We will get through these difficult times stronger and wiser. Be safe. Be healthy.