Amplify My Community stands in solidarity with the peaceful protestors across the country, and with every American—especially members of the African American community—who feel pain and anger following the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many more innocent black women, men, and children.
We share these feelings and understand that, for many, they are born out of years, decades, and centuries of systemic racism and injustice.
We take our name and mission from the belief that local organizations can amplify awareness of the challenges our communities face, work to help find solutions, and elevate the leaders who bring us together in difficult times.
We were founded just a few miles from the childhood home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and believe wholeheartedly that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
We pray for justice for George Floyd, seek peace and progress in our communities, and will actively pursue our mission of supporting and empowering the most vulnerable among us.
Black Lives Matter.
-Your friends at Amplify
March 13, 2020
Good afternoon,
Today, the City of Decatur informed us that they are suspending all March and April events with attendance greater than 250 people. Therefore, the Amplify Decatur Music Festival will not be held on April 24 and 25, 2020 as previously planned.
While we are very disappointed, we understand the city’s decision and support their emphasis on public health.
Our goal is to reschedule the 2020 Amplify Decatur Music Festival during this calendar year. This will take some time and coordination, so we appreciate your patience as we work through our options.
At this time, we are not offering refunds, in hopes that we are able to reschedule the festival and honor purchased tickets. We hope to be definitive about our plans within one month.
Amplify is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization whose mission is to leverage the universal love of music to fight homelessness and poverty at the local level.
The Amplify Decatur Music Festival raises funds for Decatur Cooperative Ministry; last year’s event raised $45,000 for DCM and we have directed more than $235,000 to them to date. Therefore, we are very concerned with the effect this news will have on DCM’s vital work to prevent and alleviate homelessness in our community. If you would like to donate to DCM, please visit them here.
Thank you for your support, and we will be in touch as we know more.
-Drew Robinson, Mike Killeen, Christine Mahin
Board members, Amplify Decatur Music Festival
Seventh Annual Event Featured The Second Amplify Decatur Music Festival and Four Nights of Music at Eddie’s Attic
May 3, 2017 (Atlanta) — The nonprofit group Amplify My Community announced today that the 2017 Amplify Decatur concert series raised $40,000 for Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM), a Decatur-based, nonprofit organization that works to prevent and alleviate poverty and homelessness in Decatur and DeKalb County. Amplify Decatur has raised and donated more than $150,000 to DCM since 2011. This year’s $40,000 gift is the most an Amplify concert series has generated to date.
The concert series was presented by Lenz, a Decatur-based marketing agency, and produced in partnership with Eddie’s Attic, the Southeast’s premier music listening room. Christine Mahin, who helped plan and produce the inaugural Amplify Decatur Music Festival in 2016, served as festival director.
On April 22, thousands gathered on the Downtown Decatur Square for the Amplify Decatur Musical Festival, the centerpiece of the concert series.
“Our goal is to create a premier festival experience that unites the community through the quality of the event itself as well as through the compassion of helping others,” said Drew Robinson, President of the Board of Amplify My Community.
Americana legend and three-time Grammy winner Lucinda Williams headlined the outdoor festival, which drew more than 2,000 guests. Also performing were Noah Gundersen, John Moreland, Harold Holloway & Company, Packway Handle Band, and Kristen Englenz & The Committed.
“Anyone who attended the event will recognize how special this community is, as hundreds of volunteers, sponsors, restaurants, beer vendors, citizens, city officials, police force, and artists came together to create a magical night,” said Lenz President and CEO and Amplify Advisory Board Chairman Richard J. Lenz. “It takes a village to put on a great event like we experienced, and I can’t thank them enough. I was lucky enough to spend time with Lucinda and she said she was impressed with the event and audience, which meant a lot.”
According to Robinson, plans are already on deck for next year’s festival.
“We believe we really hit our mark with this year’s festival,” Robinson said, “and we hope that Amplify Decatur will be the premier annual music festival that the city of Decatur needs and deserves.”
Amplify Decatur also featured a four-night stand at historic Eddie’s Attic, featuring Caroline Herring, Leopold & His Fiction, Scott Miller, Bob Sima, and Angie Keilhauer. On April 30, it culminated with the Bob Dylan vs. The Band cover night featuring seven local and regional acts.
Major sponsors included WABE 90.1 FM, The Pinewood, Lockman Homebuilding, The Leafmore Group, Decatur Package Store, Natalie Gregory, and Iris and Bruce Feinberg. Additional sponsors included AtlantaBen.com, Georgia Urology, Hall, Booth, Smith, First Baptist Decatur, Courtyard Marriott, Oakhurst Realty Partners, Plumb Works, Creative Loafing, Scott D. Miller M.D., McCurdy & Candler LLC, Private Bank of Decatur, Verisol Partners, Travis Grubb Residential, Decatur Rotary Club, North Decatur Methodist Church, 97.1 The River, Brick Store Pub, Decatur Presbyterian Church, Decatur CD, Oakhurst Baptist Church, Dynamo Swim Club, Holy Trinity Parish, The Arlo, and New Chance Signs.
The mission of Decatur Cooperative Ministry is to help families facing homelessness settle into safe, stable homes and build healthy lives filled with peace, hope, and opportunity. A member of the City of Decatur community for more than 45 years, DCM provides families in crisis with 90-days of emergency shelter for women and children, six months of transitional housing for homeless families, permanent supportive housing for homeless families with disabilities, financial assistance for families facing eviction/utility disconnection and emergency assistance for low-income veteran households. More information is available at DecaturCooperativeMinistry.org.
Based in Decatur, Georgia, Lenz partners with its clients to grow together. For more than two decades, Lenz’s specialized expertise has helped our clients reach their goals. Lenz offers the full range of digital and traditional marketing expertise, including brand strategy, advertising, PR, website development, inbound marketing, and more. More information is available at LenzMarketing.com.
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 raised and donated more than $250,000 in unrestricted gifts to locally oriented anti-homelessness and poverty-focused organizations — including more than $150,000 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.
Interviews available upon request.