Community Partners Feed Minnesota Music Industry Over Labor Day

Musically Fed came together with Loaves & Fishes, Just a Bunch of Roadies, Local 13, Rhino Staging, MVP Companies, and First Avenue to feed 300 Minnesota music industry workers and their families on Monday, September 7.

The Labor Day drive-thru car distribution was conducted at the Loaves & Fishes warehouse and provided over a week of food for those working behind-the-scenes in the music industry. Each car received freshly prepared fresh produce, dry goods, lean proteins, and pantry staples. In total, two-and-a-half semi-trailers were loaded up and donated with each family receiving five boxes of food.

Just a Bunch of Roadies, a nonprofit that involves the music industry in global humanitarian projects, provided the implementation of the drive-thru event. Musically Fed, a nonprofit organization that works to mobilize the music industry in the fight against hunger, provided the infrastructure and manpower to make the event happen. Doug Peterson and his crew from MVP Companies provided valuable knowledge with their experience in labor and services for special events.

"Our production crew community is always called upon to help out. Now we are helping within," Just a Bunch of Roadies co-founder Charlie Hernandez says. "We would rather go hungry than to see someone else suffer. We want to make sure our community knows help is available. We as an industry are here for each other."

Food insecurity continues to rise at an alarming rate in Minnesota and the music industry has been heavily impacted. According to Musically Fed, workers in the live entertainment industry may not see gainful employment until the middle of 2021 at the earliest and many are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The number of people impacted in the music industry are too vast to count ranging from roadies to stagehands and affects every community in the state of Minnesota.

"We are grateful and proud to be invited by Loaves & Fishes and Just Bunch of Roadies to partner in this much needed event," Musically Fed founder Maria Brunner says. "Not only did stagehands, forklift drivers, special event workers, etc., receive the goods, but many of these people came together to volunteer throughout the weekend. Special thanks to Kris O'Connor from Dega Catering for lending her expertise yet again. It was one of the most uplifting experiences we have all had since March."

"Just a Bunch of Roadies came to us with an idea to feed the people in their industry. We had the food, they and their partners had the people and the production knowledge," Loaves & Fishes executive director Cathy Maes says. "Together we fed a lot of people who needed it in an industry that's hurting."