Erin Lunsford is on a mission.

One of the most amazing things about whatever you want to call this blog work, let’s use “job” for a better word, is meeting so many talented young artists who not only are crazy good musicians, but also great business people and fine humans who channel their work into important social activism.

Let’s face it. After a short burst of awareness in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Old Hank’s generation (caught somewhere between Baby Boomers and Gen X, let’s just throw them into the same smelly free trucker hat that says something stupid on it) just settled into a “Me first, I want mine, ME!” mindset. It’s embarrassing and it has been horrible for our world and our society.

But these kids just are not built that way. And thank God because the future of this silly human experiment depends on them now more than ever.

We’ve talked about it with the ferocious work of Holy River in RVA and Sally Rose and their band Shagwuf’s staunch support of immigrant rights and LGBTQ+ activism.

And now we’re adding Erin Lunsford (of Erin and the Wildfire) and her work with food insecurity to the list of champions for those in need.

When she wrote her new solo single, “Strawberries”, much of the inspiration came from visiting and working at Fonticello Food Forest (Laney Wilson and Jameson Price‘s urban food garden benefitting those in need in RVA). And when it came time to release the record, she didn’t just put it out there, she built a whole tour around it benefitting Commonwealth food pantries who provide very real sustenance for those who don’t get enough to eat or live in “food deserts” where nourishing, high quality sustenance is just not available.

Then she enlisted social activists / rock stars / foot soldiers Sally Rose from Shagwuf, Rebecca Porter and Deau Eyes to help out and lend horsepower to the project.

Her whole goal is to begin to shift the “scarcity” mindset — one that focuses on getting mine first and fuck everyone else — to an “abundance” mindset that owns the fact that we are the most powerful country in the world with plenty to go around and it’s damn straight time we started sharing it.

It’s good for the needy. Good for her own music. Good for the world. The proverbgial Win - Win.

Because there is enough to go around. Because we do have a responsibility to our fellow man. And us old fuckers need to get Jesus’s and Buddha’s names out of our mouths unless we start acting that way, too.

I’ll shut up so you can watch her awesome performance at Hark Vineyards benefitting Loaves and Fishes in Charlottesville and the interview we did with her at the Virginia Day Party at AMERICANAFEST a few weeks ago.

Make a sandwich, because you have a full fridge and shouldn’t take that for granted.

Then watch and enjoy. And think about what you can do.