THE JUNK IN THE YARD / OUR MISSION FOR THE HOMELESS

With Music by Paul McCartney

Our work with the homeless has gained us a lot of friends and partners. When we reached out to Sir Paul McCartney, he obliged our request to interpret his song 'Junk' from his first solo album 'McCartney' to be the anthem for our work. Sir Paul is no stranger to activism, and he has inspired us since The Beatles took a stand against racism back in the sixties by insisting that they not perform in front of segregated audiences. The homeless need strong allies, and none stronger than an icon whose sense of humanity and empathy is known world wide. Our work for the homeless is supported by our donors and people like Sir Paul who are not afraid to have their names associated with our deeds, and we will continue to not disappoint them. On Feb. 22 you'll see the power that art has in fighting for those without a voice.

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Making a Difference

Our IMPACT

#CovidKindness

50,000+

Meals for the needy (as of Feb. 23, 2022)

1,200

pounds of food delivered weekly

A Win for Education

12,700+

Signatures Against

HB610

De-funding Inner City School Programs

Connecting Cultures

1,750

People United For Our

SUGIHARA

Event at The Saban with George Takei

Holocaust Survivors

45,000

Impoverished Survivors of the

Holocaust

Help us bring them some happiness with #MitzvahMail

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Mike Stoller and Corky Hale

The Man/Kind Initiative would not exist without Mike Stoller and Corky Hale.  Legendary in their own right, their generosity and passion for social justice has enabled many social justice movements, projects and foundations to exist... especially ours, and we love them for that!

Together, Mike and Corky breathed life into the Southern Poverty Law Center where the Civil Rights Memorial Theater bares their name.  Having read about an unusual number of teenage pregnancies in Compton, California was the impetus for Mike and Corky to fund Planned Parenthood's Dorothy Hecht Clinic – named in honor of Corky’s mom.

 

As a student at the University of Wisconsin, Corky became the first white person to join the NAACP.  

 

If a bay needed healing, Corky and Mike were there with Heal The Bay, if a fence needed mending, Corky and Mike were there with Habitat for Humanity, and if the elderly needed a commitment from the community, Corky and Mike supported The Jewish Homes for the Aging.

 

Healing the cleft palates of children through Smile Train, feeding those who are hungry through Jewish Family Services, and addressing the cancer of gun ownership that is killing our children, Corky and Mike work diligently to Stop Gun Violence.  The Man/Kind Initiative is in good company.

 

If there is a cause that needs a champion, then two super heroes are better than one.  




SIR PAUL McCARTNEY - ARTIST, ACTIVIST, INFLUENCER

Few people in history have had as significant an impact on world culture than Sir Paul McCartney.  As a musician and song-writer, his partnership with John Lennon along with his extensive solo career has created anthems that themed our lives.  We made love, we celebrated births and commemorated deaths - we created art, many times in sync with Paul's voice.  The importance of his influence can not be adequately covered in this brief acknowledgement.  We are indebted to his gift of music and how it will help to shine a light on the plight of the homeless and unhoused among us.


What you may not know is that Sir Paul's social activism has been a game-changer.  Paul's first band, The Beatles, were the first act to refuse performing to segregated audiences.  We love watching the video where McCartney's steadfast allegiance to the truth gave tabloid journalism a thrashing when he urged a reporter not to publish his admission of psychedelic experimentation.  Paul pointed out that the media has the responsibility when detrimental info or controversy is spread, not the subject who is asked a question and responds honestly.  This is how Paul made us look within.  Sonically, Sir Paul's experimentation in sound collage and 'tape loops' opened the curtain to a different way that we listen to music.  Later, his work with animal rights awareness with wife Linda Eastman (of blessed memory), his promotion of vegetarianism and other causes made us better as a culture and created a better world that we fight to maintain and improve.


We didn't learn empathy and tolerance from Sir Paul, we just learned to 'take a sad song and make it better'.  How else do you describe how kindness and tolerance fuels activism?  Paul McCartney made it cool to be an activist and even cooler to be an artist.  We recognize and celebrate his gift of music to The Man/Kind Initiative, and remain thankful that we grew up with him in our lives, so that we can inspire future generations through his art.

Our

Campaigns

Stop HB610 - An End to the No Hungry Kids Act

HB610 was an education bill that would have devastated after...
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TEARS: The Event Against Racism & Stereotyping

When George Floyd's life force was stolen from him by the ...
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Sugihara Event Starring George Takei

On the evening of August 23 at the Saban Theatre in Los ...
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