Popular R&B artist Kem’s rag to riches story is without a doubt the stuff Hollywood movies are made of. The downtrodden rise up, overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become accomplished members of society who go on to live long and happy lives. But what we don’t see with the Hollywood version is how those saved from the clutches, manage to stay humble and grounded — and better yet — go on to return some of their good fortune to the less fortunate around them.
The two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist’s third album Intimacy went gold, as did his first and his second, and the once homeless and drug-addicted singer could rest assured that he wouldn’t be returning to life on the streets and living in his car.
“It’s truly an honor to have the music recognized,” said KEM. “To know that the fans enjoy the music enough to help my albums reach gold status sincerely humbles me. I’m in constant awe of the incredible level of love and support that all three albums continue to receive from fans, radio and the music community, and am so grateful to everyone involved for helping INTIMACY achieve gold status.”
In Kem’s case however, his sincerity is as evident as his talent. The tireless advocate in the fight against homelessness has partnered with BlackCelebrityGiving.com™ to establish their first summer cause campaign: “Help Us, Help Them,” a national toiletry drive to benefit homeless communities across the country.
The goal of the “Help Us, Help Them” campaign is to collect donated toiletry items in order to prepare and distribute care packages for more than 10,000 individuals this fall. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, on any given night, there are 643,067 people experiencing homelessness in the United States.
“I’ve been fortunate in my life to overcome many obstacles, including being addicted and homeless,” said KEM. “If it weren’t for organizations dedicated to helping the homeless, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I hope to be an inspiration to others to offer something tangible like toiletries, with the hope that we might make a difference for somebody who might be struggling to manage life on a daily basis,” says KEM, the official BCG “Help Us, Help Them” campaign Ambassador.
Throughout the summer, BCG will host several Twitter chats and forums on homelessness to bring further awareness to the cause, including a Twitter Chat with KEM, encouraging participants to pledge item donations to the campaign. The campaign officially kicked off on the first day of June, and will continue through Aug. 30, 2012.
Homeless shelters and programs interested in becoming beneficiaries of the drive are encouraged to send item requests to Jazzy Jones at [email protected].
