Song of Thanksgiving and food for hungry people

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 1, 2011 - MUSIC, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND GLEANING TO HELP FEED THE HUNGRY
The Song Of Thanksgiving.org & EndHunger.org
For Immediate Release                     November 1, 2011
Big Island VA: Steven Waldmann 800-333-4597               SoSAUSA@EndHunger.org   
Atlanta GA: Sam Zamarripa 404-961-7650               Sam@TheSongOfThanksgiving.org   


Atlanta, Georgia & Big Island, Virginia

Can a simple song and video about Thanksgiving posted on iTunes help raise money to feed hungry people in America? To answer that question you have to ask Steven Waldmann of the highly respected hunger and ecumenical organization, the Society of St. Andrew (EndHunger.org,) and the singer-songwriter team of Doug Allen and Sam Zamarripa (The Song Of Thansgiving.org.)

The two groups have aligned using social media, iTunes, and a host of other Internet tools to raise money over this 2011 Thanksgiving holiday to feed hungry people. Songwriter Sam Zamarripa says “When I learned that the Society of St. Andrew could feed someone for two cents (yes, 2 pennies) I knew I had found a home for the song. The tune was written as a simple song, a meditation, which could be sung a capella at the Thanksgiving table. It’s a tune that speaks to our busy lives while raising the promises we make to ourselves and personally to God.  To make it a fundraising tool for Society of St. Andrew was just natural.”
When you visit EndHunger.org, you will find one of the most respected hunger organizations in America. Formed in 1979, the organization’s mission is “Let us love not only in words, but in deed and in truth”. The society introduces people to God’s grace in Jesus Christ through meeting their hungers; food for the body, God's word for the spirit, community of love for the heart, opportunity for those who desire action.
While I love the mission of the Society of St. Andrew, says Zamarripa, it was their results and the impact of gleaning that moved me to action. Gleaning is the traditional Biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the fields to rot, or to be plowed under after harvest. The national Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers, growers, and distribution agencies to salvage this food for the needy.
Executive Director of the Society of St. Andrew, Steven Waldmann, immediately saw the connection between a song of Thanksgiving and hunger. “Each year at Thanksgiving, we see the accentuated needs of hungry people … this year we will save and deliver 20-25 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food for people who are hungry and in need. When we were approached by Sam and Doug, we knew it would motivate our volunteers (more than 25,000) from churches, synagogues, scout troops, and senior citizens groups - and we hope it will provide a unique way for people to contribute to our work”.
The two groups are breaking new ground for social media, charity, and iTunes. Every song purchased from iTunes will generate 30 cents for the Society of St. Andrew. This will pay for 15 servings of food at 2-cents a serving. To see the video, learn more, and buy the tune, visit EndHunger.org or The Song Of Thanksgiving.org