Photo credit: Kristin Barlowe
Natalie Stovall and The Drive are among the dozen plus celebrities who have teamed up with Ohio-based Veterans Matter to generate awareness about the issue of homeless veterans and to help raise funds that will decrease the number of unhoused vets on our streets. The campaign is supported by media giant Cumulus Media which is airing Veterans Matter celebrity-voiced public service announcements in 110 U.S. markets May 1 – 31, 2014.
The thirty-second announcements, encouraging listeners to pledge support by texting “VETS” to 41444, are voiced by musicians Kid Rock, Kix Brooks, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Darius Rucker, Darryl Worley, Stevie Nicks, Dusty Hill, Emerson Drive, Jennifer Nettles, Natalie Stovall and The Drive as well as author Mitch Albom.
Veterans Matter, a national program of 1Matters, a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit with roots back to 1990, was started by founder Ken Leslie in 2012, after learning that the biggest obstacle facing some 60,000 homeless veterans eligible for housing assistance was the lack of a rental deposit, which is not covered by the HUD-VASH voucher assistance program.
To date, Veterans Matter has housed 235 veterans, and veteran families, in six states. Partnering with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veteran Affairs (VA), Veterans Matter provides rental deposits for homeless veterans who qualify for voucher-assisted living but are unable fund the initial housing costs. With the outpouring of celebrity support and the backing of Cumulus Media, Veterans Matter has high hopes of being able to help house 1,000 more veterans in 2014. 100% of funds raised go toward the program.
Visit VeteransMatter.org (http://veteransmatter.org/) and Facebook.com/VeteransMatter (http://facebook.com/VeteransMatter) for more information and to join the campaign.
ABOUT NATALIE STOVALL AND THE DRIVE: Natalie Stovall and The Drive are relentless road warriors, amassing over 200 dates each year across college campuses, clubs, and military bases around the globe. Natalie, a Tennessee native, has been playing professionally since she was 10 and performed everywhere from the White House to the Oprah Winfrey Show. A fiddle phenom, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 12. Natalie Stovall And The Drive is led by multi-instrumentalist and powerhouse vocalist, Natalie Stovall, who has been selected as one of this year’s CMT Next Women of Country. The Drive includes drummer James Bavendam from Seattle, Chile’s Miguel Cancino on guitar, Zach Morse from Cheyenne, Wyoming on bass and vocals and Redding, California guitarist and vocalist Joel Dormer.
The critically acclaimed band’s debut album, produced by GRAMMY winner Paul Worley (The Band Perry, Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum), on HitShop Records, is expected this fall. The lead track, “Baby Come On With It,” is available now at iTunes (http://smarturl.it/BCOWI) , and the official music video for the track, which debuted via CMT earlier this year, is available HERE (http://smarturl.it/BCOWIVideo) .
For more information, visit www.nataliestovall.com and engage with the band on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nataliestovall) , Twitter (https://twitter.com/NatalieStovall) and Instagram (http://instagram.com/nataliestovall) .
