Sing for World Hunger Relief

About the Fundraiser

The fundraiser portion of our concert will support both Catholic Charities of St. Cloud and World Central Kitchen. Catholic Charities is the primarily local food shelf for Central Minnesota. According to its website, it distributed 1,737,320 pounds of food in 2022 as well as serving 452,199 meals to seniors and serving a total of 44,205 people in the community (through all their outreach services). As a community choir, we are committed to improving the lives of those in our region. All nonperishable items will go to Catholic Charities.

We also want to highlight the prevalence of hunger throughout the world. We will be supporting World Central Kitchen (WCK), a frontline organization providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen is a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals. Applying their model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, WCK has served more than 300 million nourishing meals around the world. To support regional economies, WCK prioritizes purchasing local ingredients to cook with or distribute directly to families in need. 

About the Program

Our musical program reflects tragedies that lead to hunger such as war, poverty, famine, and genocide throughout the world and history. Music can bring attention to world issues, bring us together to solve problems, and provide hope for the future. Vivaldi's Gloria is the highlight, rounded out with a handful of varied pieces from a variety of traditions that will touch your heart.

Why Vivaldi? How does an early 18th Century composer relate to current events?

Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria which was written for the residents of the Ospedale della Pietà, one of four charitable institutions for the orphaned and abandoned girls of Venice. Vivaldi taught music to and composed for the Pietà’s impoverished girls. This piece is a song of hope and rejoicing--fitting both the theme of this concert and our season as a whole.