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Date: 6/13/2023
NORTHAMPTON — One Roof, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness, is hosting its annual music festival to help its cause.
The organization is spearheading its Concert for the Homeless at the Pines Theater in Look Park on June 17 at 12 p.m. with performances from the Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Juliana Hatfield and much more.
According to Jonathan Bayuk, the president of the organization and festival director, the whole purpose of One Roof is to try and raise enough money to put tiny homes on the ground for people who struggle with homelessness, and the festival is a way for the organization to grow and jumpstart their projects.
The organization’s website states its mission as this: to purchase land as a location for permanent housing, to create a community by placing tiny homes on that land, and to continue our partnerships with other local organizations to provide all of the ancillary services that newly housed people will need to thrive.
“Now that the name has become established…we’re starting to get some traction,” Bayuk said. “As it gets better, and as I hope it gets bigger, we’re hoping to have more infrastructure.”
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Bayuk said that he was inspired by the concept of Farm Aid Festival, which — since 1985 — has raised funds to help keep struggling farm families from losing their land. The hope is to emulate that formula to fit their own mold.
“I didn’t go to Farm Aid, but I had a friend who did, and it was really interesting,” Bayuk said. “Back when Farm Aid started, the farmers were really struggling, so people and performers got together and raised a lot of money and helped many people get back on their feet.”
Bayuk, a musician himself, said that he has volunteered to help the homeless population since he was a child and was involved in many organizations over the years. While he is mainly running the One Roof organization on his own, Bayuk said he hopes to partner with local organizations to work on building tiny homes in Western Massachusetts.
“I’ve met with several groups to see if there are some collaborations we can come up with,” Bayuk said. “There have been some small ones, but for the most part, [One Roof] has been doing this on our own.”
For the festival on June 17, four different acts will perform on the Park Stage while five acts will man the Pines Stage. General admission lawn tickets are $49.50 while reserved seating costs $75. Readers can visit the One Roof website to learn more about their mission and this year’s festival: https://www.onerooffestival.org/.
“We’re happy to be a part of the One Roof Festival and support their efforts to find — and soon to build — permanent homes for unhoused families,” said Glen Phillips, the singer/songwriter for Toad the Wet Sprocket. “We also can’t wait to share a stage with our old friends the Gin Blossoms and Marcy Playground.”