GMA's Project Restore Launches "Music to Restore Hope"

GMA’s Project Restore Launches “Music to Restore Hope”


September 30, 2005
Campaign will Provide New Gospel Music CDs and CD Players to Hurricane Victims

Nashville, Tenn. – Project Restore (www.projectrestore.org), the gospel music industry’s official crisis response vehicle, has launched a campaign to deliver what the gospel music industry does best – Music to Restore Hope. The Music to Restore Hope campaign will engage the gospel music industry in the collection of gospel music CDs and portable CD players to be distributed to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“Many organizations are helping in the Gulf Coast region to recover from the hurricanes by providing the basic needs such as water, food and clothing. When we considered what we could do as a community, we determined that the gospel music industry is in a unique position to bring restoration to the victims of the hurricanes by giving them music that will inspire their hearts and souls. We hope the message of hope and redemption in gospel music will encourage our fellow citizens on the Gulf as they begin to rebuild their lives,” said John W. Styll, president of Gospel Music Association (GMA).

Project Restore has partnered with PRC Compassion (www.prccompassion.org), a charitable coalition of churches and pastors trying to coordinate national, state, and local faith and community-based organizations to meet all needs of people impacted by Hurricane Katrina. They will act as the distributor of the CDs and portable CD players, first to the Gulfport, Mississippi area in October. A second distribution is planned for the New Orleans area.

“We are grateful that GMA and Project Restore have created the Music to Restore Hope campaign. I have seen the people of this community looking for something to hold on to during this time. They are looking for a hope that is found only in Jesus. I can promise that the gifts of music and CD players provided by the gospel music community will help to give that hope to the people here,” said Aaron Gates, organizer of Operations.

GMA’s Project Restore will reach out to both the gospel music record companies and the individual members of the GMA to participate in the Music to Restore Hope campaign. While the gospel music distributors and record labels are in the best position to provide quantities of new CDs, GMA members will be an integral part of the campaign by donating new portable CD players and batteries that will make it possible for the recipients to play their new CDs.

“We have heard from so many of our members who want to be a personal part of the gospel music community response to Katrina,” said Styll. “That’s why we are asking them to donate the CD players and batteries, because without the players, the music will have no life for the people of the Gulf Coast.”

Donations of new CDs, new portable CD players with batteries will be accepted at the GMA office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT. Complete details about making a contribution can be found on the Project Restore website – www.projectrestore.org. The first delivery of CDs and CD players to Gulfport will be on the weekend of October 14. Donations for the Gulfport delivery will be accepted through October 11, but that will not be the end of the campaign. Donations will be accepted through the month of October.

PRC Compassion has been one of the key ministries working in the Gulf Coast. It was created by the Pastor’s Resource Council, a coalition of Louisiana churches and pastors formed several years ago to specific address community needs. The council established PRC Compassion to coordinate long-term relief efforts in the Gulf Coast and is supported by pastors, churches and ministries nationwide. Some of PRC Compassion’s accomplishments in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina include:

82 church-run shelters or PRC serviced shelters,
400 semi trucks to 18 relief distribution points through out coastal LA,
600 out of state volunteers have been housed, fed, and deployed,
1500 doctor/client encounters have been facilitated by PRC Compassion resident physician,
2500 in-state volunteers have loaned their energies to assist our neighbors in need; and
10,512 displaced citizens have been housed, fed and received ministry.
The Music to Restore Hope campaign is not the gospel music industry’s first involvement with PRC Compassion. Earlier this month, the Dove Award-winning newsboys constructed 20 tents for the temporary housing of PRC Compassion relief workers in Gulfport.

Project Restore’s other Katrina-related effort was “Gospel Angels” benefit concert, held last week in Atlanta. “Gospel Angels: A Concert to Restore Hope," has raised more than $122,000 in donations during the two-hour broadcast on Sept. 22 in the Eastern and Central time zones, with additional donations still being counted, according to the Gospel Music Channel. Broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel, Paxson Communications Corporation’s i (formerly PAX TV), the Worship Network as well as on XM Radio, the concert drew a 0.6 rating, meaning approximately 600,000 households tuned in. All proceeds from the concert will be divided between World Vision and Feed the Children, to assist each organization in their respective hurricane relief efforts.

Additionally, Project Restore has been chronicling the individual artists and music industry contributions to hurricane relief on the Project Restore website.

Founded in 1964, the 4,500-member Gospel Music Association is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through music. The GMA represents all styles of gospel music including contemporary pop, rock, urban gospel, praise & worship, Southern gospel, country and children’s gospel music. For more information, visit www.gospelmusic.org.