Audio Adrenaline Takes On Haiti's Orphan Crisis

A NEW START FOR ADAM
Adam is the lead singer for the Grammy and Dove award winning band, Audio Adrenaline, but he began his career as a founding member of the Dove award winning band, Stellar Kart.  Between the two bands,  Adam has recorded 11 albums during his 17-year career.

Audio Adrenaline was formed in 1986. They were initially called A-180, but changed their name to Audio Adrenaline when they released their debut album. During the next two decades, they released eight albums, earned two Grammys and five Dove awards. In 2006, lead-singer Mark Stuart suffered from vocal cord injuries and the band broke up. In 2013, Audio Adrenaline came back -- this time with a brand new lineup, and the band released another album. In 2014, Adam took over lead vocal duties and the band released their tenth album, Sound of the Saints which debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. "When this opportunity came up it seemed too good to be true because I have been a huge fan of Audio Adrenaline for a long time," said Adam.

THE HANDS AND FEET PROJECT
The Hands and Feet Project provides holistic, residential care for children in crisis in Haiti by building and operating Children’s Villages with multiple family-style homes lead by Haitian house mothers. By utilizing their resources, relationships, and their American and Haitian staff, Hands and Feet strive to create a circle of care around each child with the intent of giving every boy and girl the chance to reach their God-given potential. They also help create sustainable and dignified jobs to push against the poverty-driven child abandonment and child slavery cycles. They believe the best orphan care strategy starts with a fight to keep families together. The organization began because the parents of Mark Stuart’s (former lead singer of Audio Adrenaline) were missionaries to Haiti. Mark spent time in Haiti and developed a passion for the people there. When his time singing with Audio Adrenaline was over, he focused on ministry there and is now the executive director of the Hands and Feet.

Hands and Feet believe the best option for long-term care of any child is within a thriving, healthy family. They celebrate the re-unification of children with their biological families. Then, they advocate for adoption if possible. Although they provide exceptional, family-style care in a safe, nurturing environment, they view their Children’s Villages as the best, last resort for children in crisis.  While Hands and Feet do not take children in, they partner with Haiti’s Child Social Services. With a position of humility, they are providing resources, systems, and compassion to provide Haiti the very best residential care options for its most vulnerable children.  

On Adam’s first trip to Haiti, he remembers flying over the Bahamas, and over Haiti. “It’s a beautiful island,” he said.  “It looks like a resort from the airplane. But as you get in the city, you drive past the kids and seeing the poverty on the streets is unlike anything in the U.S. There are blank looks on the kids’ faces. No joy, no hope, no life. It was so sad to see. The difference between them and the children we help is huge.  The looks on their faces are something I’ll never forget.”

Adam says we can make small choices that will make a big difference in a child’s life. “We can choose to have 100 channels instead of 4000 and give the money we saved to children in need,” he said. “Go to Starbucks one less time per week. The amount of money it takes to feed a third-world-country kid is nothing for us, and it completely changes the course of these kids lives.”