NASHVILLE, TN — H0PE-20, a Nashville based non-profit organization, has received a $1.5 million grant through the Tennessee Community CARES Program, one of the largest grants awarded in the State. Its mission is to help musicians and other entertainment professionals affected by COVID-19 in Nashville and the surrounding areas.
“A majority of those in the live entertainment sector of the music industry have been out of work since March of this year, when COVID-19 shut down music venues and postponed tours,” shares HOPE-20 founder, Chad Petterson. “Musicians, in particular, are usually considered self-employed and are in a very difficult financial position right now. Through the grant, HOPE-20 is able to pay
Sally Flinck (Puckett’s), and Loren Johnson, Christine Johnson
a portion of their housing and utility expenses, up to $5000 per recipient. We are also able to provide groceries, including fresh produce and career coaching opportunities, through our highly unique RESTART Program, taught by industry professionals. We are grateful to be a part of helping those in need who live in the entertainment industry in the greater Nashville area.”
Those who are already part of the HOPE-20 program include Grammy award-winning artists, Nashville Symphony members, touring musicians who support major global acts, those who perform on Lower Broadway and other local music and entertainment professionals.
HOPE-20 is partnering with several Nashville music venues such as The Bluebird, 3rd and Lindsley, Puckett’s and Exit/In to distribute much needed groceries to qualifying applicants. HOPE-20 has also engaged OneGenAway, a Franklin, TN based non-profit, to help supply and distribute the groceries at these locations.
“It is such a blessing to partner with HOPE-20 and OneGenAway to help support artists in need. We have seen first hand the impact this has had on the music industry, and it takes a village to help each other,” remarked Puckett’s owner, Andy Marshall. “It is more important than ever to come together as a community to keep the music playing.”
OneGenAway Founder, Chris Whitney, says, “The mission to serve our neighbors in need is the heart of OneGenAway. We are grateful for the privilege to provide high quality fresh food in partnership with HOPE-20 to our musician friends affected by the pandemic .”
HOPE-20 is a department of Artists in Christian Testimony International (A.C.T. Intl.), a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Brentwood, TN. “We are active in 41 countries around the world and exist to mobilize and equip artists with innovative, yet non-conventional, efforts that express the heart of God for their communities,” according to Rev. Byron Spradlin, President and CEO of A.C.T. Intl. “Chad Petterson, who envisioned HOPE-20, is uniquely equipped to understand how critical it is to help people in the midst of a financial crisis.”
Chad Petterson, a former venture capital professional in the NYC area, has spent most of his career leading and funding start-up companies, ministries and socially-focused businesses. He graduated from the University of Michigan Business School with a finance degree, while playing wide receiver for the Michigan Football Team, earning him the accolade of the university’s #1 scholar-athlete.
In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, Chad began to help those who had been displaced in the financial industry. He spent the next seven years leading a project called “Wall Street Exodus” where unemployed Wall Street professionals re-purposed their business skills to create jobs and businesses for the financially poor.
This work eventually led Chad to Nashville in 2015. Since then, he has started a number of charitable initiatives. In March, Chad started HOPE-20 after seeing the great need being created by COVID-19, and that his unique experiences with the 2008 crisis could be utilized with the current crisis.
Through the CARES Act grant, HOPE-20 has the ability to multiply the impact of each dollar given, up to 2-to-1 for qualifying needs. To give to the cause, please visit https://HOPE-20.org/donate. For larger individual or corporate gifts, please contact Chad Petterson directly at chad@HOPE-20.org.
