VITAMIN EM - DOROTHY DAY HOUSE PROJECT

Thank you so much for helping us sustain this important project!

Vitamin Em is collaborating with the Dorothy Day House to address homelessness. The Dorothy Day House is a successful, compassionate, and dynamic women-led organization that has been serving Berkeley’s unhoused community and others in need for over 31 years.

2023:

On June 3, 2023, Vitamin Em and the Dorothy Day House (DDH) presented our first concert event. Vitamin Em composed 5 new works celebrating the rich diversity of musical genres and cultures here in the Bay Area and reflected in the DDH community. Held across the street from the shelter in Berkeley’s MLK Civic Center Park, the event attracted Berkeley councilmembers and homeless advocates from around the Bay Area. DDH offered services to 50+ unhoused people, accepted over $5500 in contributions and signed up new volunteers.

Our first year was such a success that our collaboration with the Dorothy Day House is now an ongoing one!

2024:

Vitamin Em and the DDH are already planning our next concert event which will be held in May, 2024. This time we’ll be performing at the Downtown Berkeley Bart Plaza, just 3 blocks from the DDH shelter.

Our 2024 project will focus on creating and performing music that reflects, expresses, and connects with the experience of being homeless. We’re excited to be collaborating with DDH resident musicians with whom we bonded over the course of the past year. Together we’ll create and perform a musical program that expresses their life experiences, both challenging and uplifting. DDH staff and volunteers will be present to help those seeking services, to accept donations and sign-up new volunteers. Community speakers and hot lunches will round out the event.

To support our inaugural concert event in June 2023, we secured a Berkeley Civic Arts grant which helped cover some of our expenses. In anticipation of our 2024 event, we have applied for a Zellerbach Community Arts grant, which, if awarded, will get us most of the way there.

Your contribution will play a significant role in helping us cross the finish line. Specifically, it will support:

• Rehearsal and performance stipends for Vitamin Em and DDH musicians.

• Composer fees.

• Sound engineer and equipment expenses.

• Videography costs. (to help document the project and promote future events)

• Publicity and administrative expenses.

You will also be helping us with our ongoing efforts to expand the project, reaching more people in need in the future.

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to use our music for positive change. We want our music to bring people together, to uplift, bring joy and foster a sense of inclusion. Those that use DDH’s services are welcome. The general public is welcome. The music is for everyone. With your help, we can do this!

Thank you so much,
Vitamin Em

Vitamin Em is:

Matthew Szemela, Evan Price, Philip Brezina – violins Emily Onderdonk – viola Michael Graham, Joseph Hébert - celli Paul Hanson – bassoon, Dan Cantrell, Robert Reich – accordions

For more about Vitamin Em: https://www.vitaminemband.com/

For more info about the project: https://www.vitaminemband.com/dorothy-day-house-project

ABOUT DOROTHY DAY HOUSE: Dorothy Day House is an incredible resource for those in need, and we want more people to know about it! Some of the vital services they provide - shelter, food, clothing, bathroom facilities, laundry, mail service, a safe space to rest, access to medical care, covid tests and vaccines, drug rehabilitation services and more. Their overarching goal is to help their unhoused clients transition to permanent supportive housing.

Dorothy Day’s approach is building the foundation for emotional well-being and promoting happiness and fun. Happy people tend to be productive people. Dorothy Day said, “Food for the Body is not enough-there must be Food for the Soul”. This perspective is why we feel so excited and honored to add our own Food for the Soul to Dorothy Day House's invaluable work. https://www.dorothydayhouse.org/