Category Archives: Editorial

December 12 2008

SOUL HELP FIRST DETROIT FAMILY INTO NEW HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY

Their house — and the four adjacent homes – were built through the Saturn Hands on Homes program, a cooperative effort by General Motors’ Saturn division, Detroit area-Saturn retailers, Habitat for Humanity Detroit and Jon Bon Jovi’s Philadelphia Soul Foundation.

At a ceremony today, the new home in Detroit’s Morning Side neighborhood was the first of five Saturn Hands on Home houses to be officially dedicated. English will live in the new home with daughters Robyn (17) and Raven (20).

Saturn’s headquarters is in Detroit, a city hit particularly hard by current economic troubles, and Saturn’s local retailers volunteered to lead this effort. “Saturn retailers have always felt that it is our responsibility to give back to the communities that have supported our business,” said Carl Galeana, owner of Saturn of Warren and Saturn of Lakeside. “In these difficult times, that commitment is more important than ever.”

Saturn has a history of giving back to the community, through rebuilding playgrounds, supporting efforts to provide affordable housing, or hosting National Donor Day to boost awareness of and encourage blood, organ and marrow donations.

At a ceremony this summer at the Saturn Hands on Homes build site, musician Jon Bon Jovi joined other community leaders to kick-off the construction of the five homes. Since then, hundreds of volunteers – including many Saturn team members and customers – have contributed their labor to build the homes.

A personal statement from Bon Jovi was read at the dedication ceremony:

“On behalf of the Philadelphia Soul Foundation I’d like to congratulate our five families and thank the volunteers whose hard work and commitment to their community means that, this year, more families get to celebrate the holidays at home. Since July these families have dedicated hours of ‘sweat equity,’ hand in hand with their neighbors, Habitat Detroit and Saturn. Saturn, who has long focused on making quality, affordable automobiles for everyday Americans, has been a great partner with us over several builds around the country. Their desire to play a positive role in the communities where they do business sets a premier example.”

In addition to the Detroit initiative, the Philadelphia Soul Foundation has provided funding to build or renovate affordable housing units in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, N.Y., Colorado Springs, Colo., Atlanta, Los Angeles and Houma, La.
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian ministry that works in partnership with people from all walks of life to revitalize neighborhoods through the construction of affordable homes for families who do not qualify for conventional mortgages. Habitat partner families invest 250-400 hours of their own “sweat equity” into building their homes and the homes of others.

“Our community is facing difficult times,” said Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit, “It is gratifying to see that business such as Saturn and it retail partners, along with the Philadelphia Soul Foundation, still see the importance of remembering those in need.”

During the past 22 years, Habitat for Humanity Detroit has built or renovated more than 296 affordable homes for low-income working families across the city. Since 2005, the organization has been working with U-SNAP-BAC, an East Side community development organization, and the MorningSide Community Organization to redevelop a 16-block area on Detroit’s East Side.

This effort builds on the momentum started by U-SNAP-BAC that includes the construction of 120 new housing and rental units.

Holiday Green

In keeping Saturn’s strong commitment to the environment, all houses built by the Saturn Hands on Homes feature green practices and technologies. These environmentally-sensitive features reduce the home’s energy consumption, lower utility expenses and make the home more affordable for the new homeowner. Specific features include:

-- Efficient, Energy Star-rated appliances
-- Rinnai on-demand hot water heaters
-- High-efficiency furnaces
-- Extra-low-VOC interior paint
-- Fully recyclable carpet made of 60-percent recycled materials
-- Low-volume water toilets
-- Drywall made from the ashes of coal-burning power plants
-- Trees and "green" landscaping using low-maintenance plants
-- Rain barrels to collect water for landscape care in a planned
          community garden

SOURCE General Motors Corporation

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December 11 2008

FIRST DETROIT FAMILY WELCOMED TO NEW HOME

Saturn Hands on Homes is a partnership between Saturn, Detroit-area Saturn retailers, Jon Bon Jovi’s Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity Detroit. The event will celebrate the official dedication of the home, and the house will be open to the media to tour. Neighboring Saturn Hands on Homes houses, in varying stages of construction can also be toured.

WHEN:
Friday, December 12
12:00pm Light lunch and home tours available
1:00pm Dedication begins
1:30pm Dedication ceremony concludes / media availability for homeowners and representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and Saturn retailers

WHERE:
The completed home is at 3650 Wayburn Street in Detroit (north of mack Avenue, east of Alter Road, in the Morning Side neighborhood)

WHO:
Sherrell English, new homeowner Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit Representatives from the Saturn division and Detroit-area Saturn retailers

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
The weather prediction for Friday calls for cloudy skies with a high of 32 degrees. A portion of the program will be inside the heated tent however, some of the presentation takes place outside so please dress accordingly.

The five home sites are on Wayburn Street on Detroit’s East side (north of Mack Avenue, east of Alter Road) in the Morning Side neighborhood. Wayburn Street will be closed from Mack to Lozier. Parking will be available on the corner of Maryland and Lozier. Enter Maryland from East Warren or Mack Avenues.

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November 16 2008

JON BON JOVI and THE PHILADELPHIA SOUL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION To Be Honored by BILLBOARD Magazine in NYC

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME
Jon Bon Jovi And The Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation Honored With Humanitarian Award
Ray Waddell (Billboard)

At the Billboard Touring Conference and Awards, Billboard’s Humanitarian Award recognizes the philanthropic efforts of a touring professional. Few charitable endeavors could be deemed more “humanitarian” than providing an affordable home for a family in need, which is why Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation have been chosen as the 2008 Humanitarian Award honorees at this year’s conference, taking place Nov. 19-20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Bon Jovi’s mission to provide affordable housing to those in need began even before he and the ownership group of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul decided to establish the nonprofit Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation in October 2006. The effort is ongoing; just last month, 51 units of housing, developed in partnership with HelpUSA, were announced for Newark, N.J. This project will bring the number of affordable housing units that Bon Jovi and the foundation have been involved with since 2005 to 140.

“Jon’s leadership and vision has been amazing, and he truly has leveraged his celebrity status to the benefit of many homeless and low-income individuals finding themselves in an economic crisis involving housing,” foundation director Mimi Box says. “Although our mission is broad-helping people in economic distress-our funding priorities have been directed toward those experiencing a lack of affordable housing for themselves and their families. We have met an incredibly large number of folks who just need a little help to stabilize their living situation.”

Using an oft-heard but heartfelt phrase in philanthropy, Box quotes Bon Jovi as saying the foundation’s goal is to offer “a hand up, not a handout.”

Bon Jovi’s passion for the foundation is “enormous,” according to Jack Rovner, the band’s co-manager at Vector Management, and his approach is creative. “Jon’s model of combining corporate, private and government monies has yielded over 100 homes in the last three years,” Rovner says. “Being part of that has been enormously gratifying, and to find new ways and new projects to initiate it is absolutely a great feeling.”

Asked why this particular cause resonates with him, Bon Jovi says, “When you look at the number of families and children that on any given night in our country do not have a place to call home, it strikes a chord-no pun intended-with me. Homelessness hits more people than you can imagine: 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year.”

Homelessness “is an issue we can address without the help of science,” Bon Jovi adds. “One of the causes of homelessness is lack of safe, decent and affordable housing-[which] is a crisis we can tackle, but it will take money, patience and perseverance. So, I’ve found the challenge which has spoken to me, and I’m trying to make a difference in the lives of these people who want to help themselves but just need a little help.”

JON BON JOVI Cover Story Philadelphia Style Magazine.

Bon Jovi says he is “extremely pleased” with the foundation’s growth. “And in efforts like this, no one can do it alone,” he adds. “Support from all sectors in the communities in which we have built has enabled us to accomplish so much in the first two years of our foundation’s existence. Without support from the private sector as well as the many individuals throughout the country that support our mission, we would not have been able to work with our nonprofit partners [Project H.O.M.E., Habitat for Humanity, HelpUSA and others] in providing over 140 units of affordable housing. It has also afforded us the opportunity to be a voice for the low-income and formerly homeless populations who, in some cases for the first time, are achieving the American dream of home ownership for their families. There is a great need in our country for affordable housing, especially in today’s economic environment.”

Companies including Saturn, ICAP, Kenneth Cole, Coty, Comcast, Condé Nast and SAP have been big believers in the foundation’s mission and have supported it financially and with volunteer labor, Box says.

Bon Jovi’s star power and dedication to the cause have also “exponentially increased” local support and facilitated involvement with such partners as Project H.O.M.E., HelpUSA and Habitat for Humanity.

Bon Jovi has seen plenty of packed houses in his career, including 99 of them on the band’s 2007-08 Lost Highway tour, a finalist for the top tour and top draw awards this year. But it seems a different kind of full house can be highly rewarding as well.

“I’ve seen what a miraculous thing it is to hand someone the keys to a new home,” Bon Jovi says, “not only a beautiful home that they can be proud to own, but a home that they have invested their own time, sweat and resources in.”

Longtime band manager and tour director Paul Korzilius knows firsthand Bon Jovi’s dedication to this cause. “Throughout my long association with Jon I’ve always been amazed and impressed by his commitment to the community,” he says. “This foundation has allowed it to be a bit more formalized, but this is not a newfound passion, it is lifelong passion. I’ve seen it every day for over 20 years.”

Previous Humanitarian Award winners include Clear Channel Entertainment for Hurricane Relief (2004), Dave Matthews Band’s Bama Rags foundation (2005), Music Rising (2006) and Kevin Wall/Live Earth (2007). -Ray Waddell

For more information, visit the billboard site and CLICK HERE

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November 10 2008

ST. ELIZABETH’S GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

The residence now features an elevator and four fully accessible rooms to introduce residents with physical disabilities to the program and assure that they have full access to the whole building.

The Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, November 7, 2008 from 1:00 – 3:00pm at St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence will celebrate the official opening of the building with a ribbon cutting and dedication by several special guests at 2:00pm, including:

John Bravacos, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
Mayor Michael Nutter
State Representative John M. Perzel
Sister Mary Scullion, Executive Director, Project H.O.M.E.

The extensive renovations of St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence were funded by a unique combination of public and private supporters, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Company, the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and Jon Bon Jovi, the City of Philadelphia, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and several private donors. With the renovations, Project H.O.M.E. has been able to open a Veterans Program at St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence in a unique collaboration with the Vetarans Administration and the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia. The program was developed because of the increasing number of homeless veterans who need help treating their addictions and to help them break their cycle of homelessness.

The goal of St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence is to help Veterans find their way to permanent homes and and productive work; medical care, job training, employment and housing assistance are all available either on-site or nearby. Services available at the St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence include support groups designed for recovering Veterans and other formerly homeless men, connections for mental health and substance abuse treatmet; and case management services to help residents construct a strong support network for themselves. Residents who complete the Veterans Program and graduate from St. Elizabeth’s Recovery Residence will receive help in obtaining permanent housing through Project H.O.M.E.’s many partnerships and housing resources.

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October 14 2008

BILLBOARD MAGAZINE to Honor PHILADELPHIA SOUL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION with HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Bon Jovi’s PHILADELPHIA SOUL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and Widespread Panic will be honored with special awards at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards on Nov. 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Additionally, Widespread Panic will play the intimate Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York on Nov. 19 in a special benefit concert for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. Registrants for the Nov. 19-20 Billboard Touring Conference will be able to take part in a pre-sale on Oct. 16 for the “evening with” Panic show; the general public on-sale is Oct. 18.

Bon Jovi’s Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation will be honored with the Humanitarian Award, which recognizes the philanthropic efforts of a touring professional. Jon Bon Jovi’s mission to provide affordable housing to those in need has spread across the country and internationally, and began even before he and the ownership group of the Arena Football League’s PHILADELPHIA SOUL decided to structure the nonprofit Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation in October 2006.

Most recently, 51 units of housing in partnership with HelpUSA were announced for Newark, N.J., bringing the number to 140 of affordable housing units Bon Jovi and the Foundation have been involved with since 2005.

Previous Humanitarian Award winners include Clear Channel Entertainment (2004), Dave Matthews Band (2005), Music Rising (2006), and Kevin Wall/Live Earth (2007). “Few efforts are more ‘humanitarian’ than helping provide shelter for people in need. We’re proud to recognize the efforts of Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation with the 2008 Humanitarian Award,” says Ray Waddell, Billboard’s executive director of content and programming, touring and live entertainment.

Also at the Billboard Touring Awards, Widespread Panic will receive the first-ever Road Warrior award. This honor was conceived to recognize work ethic, steadfast dedication to touring year after year, and a commitment to the art and craft of live performance.

“The Road Warrior award acknowledges a band that might not always grace the top of the Billboard Boxscore charts, but whose professionalism, on-stage charisma and ability to sell tickets over a long period of time provide a huge boost to the overall touring industry,” says Waddell. “As promoters, venue managers and, of course, fans from coast to coast know, Widespread Panic more than meets all these criteria.”

The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation was formed in November of 1991 following the death of the legendary rock impresario Bill Graham. The Foundation awards grants primarily in the areas of music, the arts and education, while also supporting social work, environmental protection, and spiritual and compassionate projects in communities.

“We’re thrilled to give our conference attendees an opportunity to not only see one of the great live bands ever in this intimate setting, but to also support a wonderful cause in the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation,” says Waddell.

The Billboard Touring Awards honors the most successful tours, artists and professionals of the year, primarily determined by the Billboard Boxscore charts. Also this year, the Allman Brothers Band will receive the Legend Of Live award.