Banding Together

Gifts for the Homeless, Inc. (GFTH), an all-volunteer non-profit organization that has provided new and used clothing to the Washington, D.C.-area homeless for over 30 years, is pleased to release its first-ever music video from the D.C. legal community to raise awareness and funds to help our community’s homeless population. 

The first-ever music video (available at https://gfth.org/) features over 20 talented musicians who, in addition to their day jobs, have in the past come together with their bands every year to compete in Banding Together, the annual battle-of-the-lawyer-bands that GFTH hosts at D.C.’s historic Black Cat.  Last year, 15 bands from throughout the D.C. legal community played to over 1,000 people while raising over $230,000 to provide clothing to the area homeless. 

1. Gerard (Jerry) Comizio, Vice President of Special Events for Gifts for the Homeless and one of the many musicians featured in the video said: “Even COVID-19 cannot keep the D.C. legal and music communities from coming together to showcase their music skills and raise money for the area homeless.” GFTH supports over 75 shelters, soup kitchens and transitional housing facilities that, in turn, provide aid and assistance to homeless men, women and children – a population among the hardest hit by the pandemic

In the video, musicians from different bands, law firms, and other parts of the D.C. legal community collaborated on a cover Journey’s classic Don’t Stop Believin’.  In describing the song choice, Comizio said, “Although we’re physically apart during this time, our supporters and bands never stop believing in our central mission: to make sure our homeless shelters have plenty of warm clothing for our area’s homeless.”

“GFTH is thrilled to release this video featuring the outstanding musical talent of members of the D.C. legal community that help us raise money every year to provide clothing to our homeless neighbors,” said Bart Epstein, president of Gifts for the Homeless. “This year, although we cannot physically come together, our stellar line-up of bands will ‘rock the house’ over the internet.  And, as always, every penny donated will be used to buy warm clothing and blankets for the tens of thousands of homeless families and individuals in the greater Washington area.”

You can watch the video and learn more about ways to donate at https://gfth.org/ or on GFTH’s social media pages.  The video was produced by Marissa Sams, a GFTH board member and principal at Marisa Sams Events.

What:          First-ever music video from D.C. legal community to support the area homeless, 100% of the funds go to provide needed clothing.

Where:        https://gfth.org/  and  https://youtu.be/r8X42vgYutl

Interviews:  Members of the GFTH board, the musicians, and representatives from the many shelters that GFTH are all available to discuss GFTH’s mission, the special issues the homeless face during this pandemic, and the making of this amazing video.  Please contact press@gfth.org for more details.

About Gifts for the Homeless (GFTH)

GFTH, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides new and used clothing to dozens of D.C. area homeless shelters.  GFTH is a fully volunteer organization with no staff and no overhead costs – every dollar raised goes toward purchasing clothes for the homeless.  All expenses are generously supported by board members and their employers.  Each year, GFTH donates used clothing to over 70 shelters and new clothing to over 30 organizations.  Recipients include transitional shelters, shelters sponsored by local churches, a home for men with AIDS, shelters for battered women and children, and – with 1,600 beds – the largest shelter for homeless men, women, and children in Washington, D.C.  In addition to Banding Together, GFTH also hosts an annual Used Clothing Drive in December, in which area law firms, corporate legal departments, government legal personnel, non-profits, community groups, offices, and individuals donate used clothes.  Typically, more than 300 volunteers during the course of the weekend help sort, bag and deliver the thousands of clothing donations received.  All donations are tax-deductible.

Press Contact:   press@gfth.org / 202-670-8833