When most people hear the phrase “homemade jams,” the first images that comes to mind are mason jars filled with fruit preservatives. The WhyHunger organization knows a very different meaning of the phrase, though. Their definition of “homemade jams” is not a food at all. It is, rather, a method for providing food for those experiencing hunger worldwide.

WhyHunger’s “Homemade Jams” is a concert series started by the organization’s Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program. The program created the Homemade Jams concert series in response to many Americans’ desire to help alleviate world hunger on a personal level. Participants in the Homemade Jams campaign register to host house concerts to raise money for WhyHunger.

The campaign, which began last June, set a goal of receiving donations from 100 house concert hosts. Since then, the concerts have ranged from showcases of budding artists that want to use their own talents to raise money to performances hosted by fans of more well-known artists. One house concert in California featured local artists with enough credibility to charge 100 dollars per ticket.  All proceeds went to WhyHunger.

Artists hosting house concerts through Homemade Jams can be sure that their donations will be used effectively. WhyHunger, formerly known as World Hunger Year, provides relief to people experiencing hunger in the United States and in underprivileged areas around the world. After 28 years of advocacy, the organization has been ranked the highest in terms of donations, financial standing and accountability by Charity Navigator when compared to organizations that support similar causes.

The Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program specifically channels the power of music and the arts to fight global poverty. Among the many performers linked to WhyHunger’s AAH&P program are Chicago, O.A.R.  and Bruce Springsteen.

Springsteen is one of the program’s founders. He has donated funds and raised awareness for WhyHunger for over 20 years. In 2009, when Springsteen released the 25th anniversary edition of his “Born in the U.S.A.” album, he sold commemorative hats, pins and t-shirts to raise money for AAH&P.

While famous artists can generate awareness and raise money on a very large scale, the AAH&P program enables Americans to make a difference by gathering donations from local communities. By registering to become one of the 100 concerts to end hunger with the Homemade Jams concert series, anyone can join artists like Springsteen in the fight against world hunger.

– Emily Walthouse

Sources: WhyHunger 1, WhyHunger, Homemade Jams, Charity Navigator
Photo: Homemade Jams