Today, the nonprofit organization Amplify My Community announced a combined total gift of $25,000 to Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM), Decatur Education Foundation (DEF), and Giving Kitchen to aid their vital missions. The unrestricted gift to these charities was made possible by funds generated from the Amplify Decatur Music Festival, held April 27-30.

The festival was presented by Lenz and produced in partnership with Eddie’s Attic.

Amplify Decatur Music Festival featured an all-day festival Saturday, April 29 on the Decatur Square with performances by St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Patty Griffin, James McMurtry, The Suffers, Town Mountain, Jackson County Line, and The Sundogs.

Additional events included a Thursday night book signing and conversation with Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra at Brick Store Pub in collaboration with Little Shop of Stories; free Friday night performances on and around the Decatur Square; and an Elliott Smith tribute show Sunday night at Waller’s Coffee Shop.

To date, Amplify has donated more than $575,000 in unrestricted gifts to locally oriented anti-homelessness and poverty-focused organizations — including more than $360,000 in Decatur.

“Amplify has proven to be one of the best homegrown music festivals around– with an incredibly talented and musically-diverse line-up, high-quality production, and the best local food and craft beer offerings,” says Drew Robinson, Board President of Amplify My Community. “Thanks largely to Amplify board members Christine Mahin and Mike Killeen as well as the incredible Lenz team, our festival continues to improve year after year. We’re especially excited to expand our beneficiaries this year to include Decatur Education Foundation and Giving Kitchen, in addition to Decatur Cooperative Ministry.”

2023 Amplify Decatur Music Festival sponsors: Decatur Package Store, Leafmore Group, Iris and Bruce Feinberg, Oakhurst Realty Partners, Decatur Travel and Tourism, Natalie Gregory & Co., Savannah Distributing Co., Three Taverns, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Cox Media Group, WABE, Georgia Urology, Plumb Works, Hall Booth Smith Attorneys at Law, Brick Store Pub, Kudzu Antiques, Trōv Home, Verisail Partners, Topo Chico, Tip Top Proper Cocktails, and Atlanta United.

Amplify My Community was founded in 2010 and is based in Decatur, Georgia. Its mission is to leverage the universal love of music to fight poverty at the local level. To date, Amplify has produced more than 100 concerts, and raised and donated more than $575,000 in unrestricted gifts to locally oriented anti-homelessness and poverty-focused organizations — including more than $360,000 in Decatur. Amplify has held concert series in Atlanta, Athens, Decatur, Suwanee, and Duluth, Georgia; Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlottesville, Virginia, and featured acts such as Indigo Girls, Lucinda Williams, Ben Harper, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Blind Boys of Alabama, Old Crow Medicine Show, Rodney Crowell, John Paul White, Son Volt, Justin Townes Earle, Bruce Hornsby, Milk Carton Kids, Ricky Skaggs, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Patty Griffin, James McMurtry, Julien Baker, Drivin’ N Cryin’, Junior Brown, Amanda Shires, Bobby Bare, Jr., Lucero, Colin Meloy, The Mavericks, Shawn Mullins, The Lone Bellow, The Jayhawks, Jay Farrar, and Harold Holloway & Co.

Decatur Cooperative Ministry’s mission is to help families facing homelessness settle into safe, stable homes and build healthy lives filled with peace, hope, and opportunity. Founded in 1969, Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM) offers transitional housing, shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing programs. DMC’s programs span the entire spectrum of currently recognized homelessness interventions. To accomplish this, DCM partners with 35 congregations from 14 denominations as well as private foundations, universities and schools, government agencies, community groups, and local businesses.

Decatur Education Foundation works together with the City Schools of Decatur, Decatur Housing Authority, and City of Decatur to bolster community efforts and ensure that ALL students have the resources, opportunities, and experiences in order to foster their growth and ensure their academic success.

Giving Kitchen provides emergency assistance for food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.