Los Angeles, CA – December 2020… The holidays are a challenging time for many working families, even during normal years, and 2020 has been anything but normal. The pandemic and associated shutdowns have impacted a great many, but few have been more devastated than those in the live sound and production sector. With live events, tours, and performances all but non-existent this year, millions of working professionals have taken the brunt of its impact – an entire industry unemployed and many thousands of families struggling.With the industry at a standstill, Live Sound production consultant and industry veteran Sandy Espinoza is springing into action, stepping forward to put a face to the people behind the scenes . Espinoza’s Roadiecare is a 501(c)3 non-profit created to benefit production professionals who are facing a holiday season with meager resources.
Roadiecare’s Adopt-a-Roadie program assists by providing resources for hungry families during the holidays. Donors can anonymously purchase electronic gift certificates, provided to needy families to enable them to buy groceries and other necessities. “People are so grateful for the help, and it keeps everyone anonymous, so no one feels embarrassed to ask for help.”With the help of generous donors, the organization has been able to provide a great many Thanksgiving dinners this year. Roadiecare is actively seeking corporate sponsors to help feed many times more needy crew. “These are people who are invisible during the show in stage black clothing, and sadly they’re still invisible now, in the cold daylight of a pandemic,” Espinoza asserts.
With the entire live events industry shuttered since March, many production professionals have been frustrated in their search for alternative work. “These are highly skilled professionals, and so many of them have been desperately seeking jobs, only to be told they’re over-qualified,” she observes. “We can’t help all the millions who are struggling, but we’re hoping to help as many people as we can.”
Roadiecare’s GoFundMe page is located at https://www.gofundme.com/f/feedroadiesnow
For more info, visit roadiecare.com.
