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From comedies to kickass concerts, these two creatives are here to make social impact fun

Aaron Brown and Lenny Barszap raised millions for the unhoused community in a movement they've named "Trojan-horse social impact."

Lenny Barszap (Left) Aaron Brown (right)/ (The Pharcyde, Brownout, Adrian Quesada, Lenny Barszap, Chris Rogers (muralist), Chris Baker (TOOF), Aaron Brown) - photo credit IIsmael Quintanilla III

Have fun doing good.

There is often a distinct line between social impact—that is, something meant to provoke thought, connect us to our humanity, inspire positive change, etc.—and entertainment, which provides us a fun escape.

But sometimes that line can become blurred in innovative ways, allowing entertainment itself to be the change agent.

This is the concept behind creative partners Aaron Brown (Onion Creek Productions) and Lenny Barszap (Entertaining Entertainment)’s Been There music festivals, which are specifically intended to be social movements in disguise.

But first, let’s go back to 1997 when Brown and Barszap were in college. They met an unhoused former professor living in the park at the end of their block - a chance encounter that would change their lives forever.

Not wanting the man to suffer Texas’ infamous storms, Brown and Barszap offered the man a chance to crash on their porch—and later their couch as boundaries began to soften—which began a nearly yearlong chapter of bonding with him and others from his community.

Their relationship, along with the antics that ensued, would later become the basis for “Home Free,” a coming-of-age college comedy that Barszap calls “‘Dazed & Confused’ meets ‘Superbad,’” which premiered at Hollywood's iconic Chinese Theatre in July 2023 and earned rave reviews, including one from Kevin Smith saying it is “the most important comedy you’ll see this year.”

And while “Home Free” succeeds in providing laugh out loud moments, Brown and Barszap hoped it could be the first of many “Trojan horse-style social impact films,” using humor as the spoonful of sugar to raise awareness on the serious issue of homelessness.

That’s why the duo partnered with The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), an organization that offers people in Austin, TX facing homelessness shelter, opportunities and support. Through this partnership, six percent of all donations raised for Brown and Barszap’s film went directly to the foundation. In addition, 10% of the film's profits were earmarked for TOOF and other nonprofits fighting to end homelessness.

Which brings us back to Been There, which got its title as a way of suggesting “we can get beyond homelessness and someday look back from a new perspective with empathy.”

Here’s how it started: In 2021, TOOF had recently begun supporting a tent encampment of around 200 people experiencing homelessness in East Austin, later renamed The Esperanza Community. Brown and Barszap began making relationships with Esperanza’s residents during production of “Home Free” (especially when filming was slowed to a halt during COVID).

Before/After images of The Esperanza Community

That year, Austin had been hit by some severe ice storms, causing power outages and devastating the tent community. And while replenishing supplies would have been enough to help the neighborhood recover, Barszap and Brown thought “why not go beyond necessities and replenish people’s spirits as well?”

And so, the pair called upon their musician friends, who just so happened to be Grammy award-winning heavy hitters in the industry, to put on a kickass private music festival.

The Esperanza community got to enjoy the talents of Adrian Quesada, best known for his work with The Black Pumas, as well as local legends like the latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma and indie darlings Wild Child, just to name a few. And even better, though no one intended to make the event a fundraiser, a couple of inspired attendees donated a collective $600,000 to TOOF on the spot.

Because their first event was such a success, another Been There festival was held in 2023, this time intended as a fundraiser, composed of musical heroes from the 90s and local Austin heavyweights. Headlining the act was legendary hip hop group The Pharcyde, who also contributed two new songs to the original soundtrack for “Home Free,” produced by Adrian Quesada. The Pharcyde were accompanied for the first time ever by a live band, Austin’s Latin-funk heroes Brownout who have backed the likes of Prince, GZA and many more.

Barszap told Upworthy the second festival was an even bigger hit. Not just because of the money it raised, but because it brought people together who might normally be separated by social barriers. And it all took place in Esperanza, which has now become a flourishing transitional tiny home community.

“It was incredible…so many showed up to the event and were surprised they were having an amazing night with people who were transitioning out of homelessness and getting back on their feet. Everyone was so moved that we raised over $1million that day, enough to build over 100 new tiny homes for The Esperanza Community,” he said.

(The Pharcyde, Brownout, Adrian Quesada, Lenny Barszap, Chris Rogers (muralist), Chris Baker (TOOF), Aaron Brown) - photo credit IIsmael Quintanilla III

The first two Been There music Fests were hosted at The Esperanza Community in Austin but Barszap and Brown envision a series of Been There's in cities across the country. "When you see the power of artists coming together to help our neighbors and spotlight the organizations doing the most innovative work, it's undeniable. We've seen first-hand how music and art can change lives," says Brown.

As more non-profit music festivals similar to Been There continue popping up across the country, both to reinvigorate those who are disenchanted with how capitalism has affected the industry, it’s becoming clear that this is more than a novel concept—it’s a style of entertainment that people actually want to participate in.

As for what the future holds: today, Been There is more than a music festival. It has transformed into a non-profit in its own right, bringing even more “Trojan horse-style social impact entertainment that kick-starts a movement” including festivals, films, art, music and proving that making a difference doesn’t have to be a chore or byproduct of guilt.

Lenny Barszap (Left) Aaron Brown (right)

Maybe it’s not so impossible to, as Barszap puts it, “have fun doing good.”

If you’d like to support more of Been There’s impactful entertainment, donate here.

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best of humanity

That feeling when you find out your donation is making a huge impact? Incredible.

If you gather enough snowflakes, you can create an avalanche.

Thousands of worthy organizations rely on individual donations to do good work in the world. And there are millions of people who feel compelled to donate, but they might think their modest contributions won't really make a difference.

But they do — especially when enough people show up. When we hear about a major donation, it's easy to think that those are the ones that really make a difference. And, no doubt, those windfalls create big opportunities.

Las Americas, an advocacy group that provides legal representation for immigrants, received a $100,000 donation from Priorities USA — which had a huge impact. "We are all crying in the break room," wrote one of the organization's employees. "Our legal staff is 5 people (2 of us in stipends) and one attorney with at least 300 open cases and clients. This is going to expand the number of people we can help by so much."

But whether it's one person or organization giving $100,000, 100 people giving $1,000 each, or 10,000 people giving $10 each, the effect is the same. For nonprofits, every dollar counts, and the more people they have supporting them, the better.

A viral fundraiser succeeded beyond any expectation — with donations averaging around $38.

When the Trump administration enacted a sweeping policy of separating children from parents at the border, people of all beliefs and backgrounds were appalled. One couple started a Facebook fundraiser to raise money for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a Texas-based legal aid organization serving refugees and immigrants. It went wildly viral, and in less than a week raised more than $17 million.

We do not have the words to thank Charlotte and Dave Willner. Thanks is inadequate for the work these funds will make...

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As of this writing, almost 450,000 people have donated to the RAICES fundraiser — a participation level that calculates to an average donation around $38 each. Obviously, some people gave more than that, which means some gave less. And yet all of those individual dollars came together to form an avalanche of funds to help.

"We've been occasionally crying around the office all day when we check the fundraising totals," the organization wrote on Facebook. "... There are terrible things happening in the world. And there are many people who are deciding not to look away but to do something. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Another nonprofit group has raised millions using a model of intentionally small donations — where no one gives more than $25.

Known for their "Love Flash Mobs," Together Rising encourages huge participation with small amounts of money. Love Flash Mobs are time-limited fundraisers — usually less than a day for a specific cause, shared through social media. Most Together Rising fundraising campaigns cap donations at $25 — people are asked not to give more. This practice ensures that "every giver is equally vital to meeting the specific need," according to the organization.

The organization has raised funds for refugees in Greece, abandoned kids in Indianapolis, opioid recovery for pregnant teens, and more. In May 2018, it raised $1 million in just nine hours to help get legal aid to families at the border. Here's the update on the impact of those funds:

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Don't let having little to give discourage you from giving.

In a perfect world, we wouldn't need to have fundraisers to support people's basic needs and human rights, but here we are. And a whole lot of "little" adds up to a lot. If everyone with the means gave small amounts on a regular basis, imagine the avalanche of generosity it would create.

Family

A boy was dying in this Rwandan community. Here's why they broke the rules to treat him.

True
Johnson & Johnson

Wendy Leonard knew that Rwandans were experiencing an HIV/AIDs epidemic when she visited in 2006. But she uncovered a crisis that was even bigger than she could’ve imagined.  

She had come from the United States to help make sure healthcare workers were following the Rwandan Ministry of Health protocols for treating HIV in pregnancy and in young children — protocols that included complicated paperwork and triage for patients that were in the most urgent need of care.

But here's the thing ... those protocols weren't always helpful. In fact, during her first two trips to a rural community called Ruli in 2006 and 2007, Leonard found that they were actually making things more confusing.

Women preparing food in Ruli, Rwanda. All images provided via The Ihangane Project.

On one of her trips, local doctors had a young, HIV-exposed patient who was very ill. Usually the patient’s condition determined which set of guidelines to follow, but because this young child’s condition didn’t fit perfectly into any single protocol, his doctors felt helpless.

“Those doctors didn't necessarily trust their own judgment,” Leonard explains. “And then honestly, they weren't sure it would matter, because they thought this kid was going to die anyway.”

And this wasn't the first time she noticed the local doctors having trouble with the protocols in place.

For example, tracking data and keeping up with medical records was a complicated process that involved making calculations by hand. Plus, it wasn’t a priority to follow the government’s rules for HIV treatment since HIV wasn’t the only pressing health problem families faced.

“That was the moment that I really felt, okay, we need to figure out how to help people take the tools they have and make [them] work for them — as opposed to [saying] they have to follow these rules because someone upstream gave them to them.”

So, rather than simply dictating protocols, she decided to listen first to the Ruli community and their needs.

Dr. Wendy Leonard with TIP data specialist Theophila Huriro Uwacu. Image provided via the GenH Challenge.

She brought their feedback to the Ministry of Health, along with a recommendation to shift their approach toward supporting local leaders and strengthening existing health systems.

“In different forms, this is what we have been doing ever since,” Leonard says.

But that was just the beginning of the support Leonard brought to Ruli. In 2008, she founded The Ihangane Project (TIP), a nonprofit that initially aimed to reduce rates of HIV and malnutrition on a local level.

TIP’s first project was to try and establish mobile HIV services at several of Ruli’s rural health centers. However, they couldn’t actually set up those services due to a lack of grid electricity. So they adjusted, and brought the mobile services along with solar electricity that continues to power those health center sites today.

Image provided via The Ihangane Project.

It’s just one example of how The Ihangane Project’s vision has adapted.

In 2017, Leonard proudly announced that TIP had achieved its first goals. Ruli had seen a whopping 160% drop in mother-to-child HIV transmission, with zero new cases in over a year. For HIV-exposed children, malnutrition decreased dramatically by 65%.

And they're not stopping there.

The team aims to improve health systems throughout Rwanda by creating a model to help communities access quality healthcare, even with limited resources.

In one innovative example, The Ihangane Project has created a digital tool, called E-Heza, which helps keep medical records up to date.

E-Heza automatically creates a digital health record, makes the necessary calculations, and sends the data to government health officials. So health workers no longer have to keep up with the cumbersome process of calculating data by hand. Nurses and mothers participated in the process of designing E-Heza, so it’s created to meet their needs.

The new tool works both on and offline, which is helpful in rural communities that have limited internet access. And parents can see exactly how behavior like visiting the clinic regularly helps improve their child’s health.

A mom learns about her child's progress through E-Heza. Image provided via The Ihangane Project.

In this way, E-Heza is aiding health education, and building community within health centers. That’s why Leonard and her team hope to bring E-Heza to all of Rwanda by the year 2020.

And, thanks to funds they’ve received as finalists in the GenH Challenge for innovative health projects, they’re already well on their way. In fact, they’re piloting the E-Heza Digital Health Record program in nine Ruli health centers in 2018.

Now, with The Ihangane Project’s model, a sick child in Ruli doesn’t have to wait for doctors to figure out the proper protocols to save their life.

A mom and her child get ready to receive care at a health center in Ruli. Image provided via The Ihangane Project.

Instead, local healthcare workers and parents will have the tools and understanding to take back control. They know that supporting a child’s own community first and foremost is vital to their health, rather than waiting on outside assistance from the government or other aid workers.

And while the Ministry of Health’s support is crucial, and Leonard’s expertise was important, she couldn’t have made this incredible vision a reality without the community of Ruli.

“They have the solution,” Leonard says. “They might not have the exposure to all the possibilities, but they understand the challenges and they understand their potential.”

More

How a sisterly connection and passion for service led to the road trip of a lifetime.

True
State Farm

Sisters Lindsey and Lee Ellen Fulmer were hundreds of miles apart when they came up with the same idea at the exact same time.

Back in 2014, Lindsey was about to begin her internship for a missions ministry in Oklahoma when she started thinking about traveling across the country and volunteering at different nonprofits.

"I didn't mention it to anyone, and I kind of just put it on the back burner," says Lindsey.

Lindsey (left) and Lee Ellen Fulmer. All images via Project Wave, used with permission.

At the same time, Lee Ellen was wrapping up her degree in elementary education in their hometown in South Carolina. She, too, was thinking about traveling the states.

But Lee Ellen didn't want to drive around aimlessly.

"I wanted to put a meaningful purpose behind it," she explains. "I thought it'd be really cool if I could volunteer everywhere I went. ... But I'm kind of a shy and reserved person, so I was like, 'I can't do this alone.'"

Guess who she called?

"[Lindsey] was like, 'This is something I've been thinking about for weeks now! This is the answer!'" Lee Ellen remembers with a laugh.

That's when the Fulmer sisters began to lay the foundation for Project Wave — a mission to volunteer in all 50 states, one week in each.

Helping feed the hungry in Hawaii with Aloha Harvest.

To get started, Lindsey planned out the route so it was both weather- and sightseeing-friendly. From there, they reached out to potential host families who might be willing to take them in for a week.

They also started saving their own money and were fortunate enough to set aside money for food and other necessities (with a bit of help from family and friends through a GoFundMe page).

Once that was all set, they searched for nonprofits within a one-hour radius of where they were staying.

Beyond that, they also had two main criteria: First, they wanted to help people directly. And second, they wanted to help out smaller nonprofits that don't get as much mainstream attention.

Skating with the ladies of Skate Like a Girl in Seattle.

"They don't get as much publicity as larger nonprofits, and they struggle because of that," explains Lee Ellen. "We also wanted to learn as much as possible on this trip. With the smaller nonprofits, you have the opportunity to talk with founders and directors and different department heads and work more closely with them."

Making masterpieces with the OFFCenter Community Arts Project in Albuquerque.

It took almost two years of planning, but eventually, in July 2016, Lindsey and Lee Ellen made their way to Tennessee — the first stop of their 50-week trip.

As of this writing, they're in Wyoming — the 41st state on their itinerary.

Raising awareness for mental health with Red Barn Farms in Utah.

"Voluntourism" can get a bad rap, so the sisters made sure to check their egos at the door and really listen to what each nonprofit needs. Whether it's helping clean facilities or working directly with people, Lindsey and Lee Ellen were sponges when it came to learning about other people's missions.

"When you're helping people of different backgrounds in different regions, you have to go in with an open mind," says Lindsey. "We're going to help you do what you need done."

"We're going to come in and learn about what you're doing or what people are struggling with without any judgment. ... Whatever you need, we make it happen."

Ultimately, the Fulmer sisters are hoping to spread their passion for service to as many people as possible.

Granted, not everyone will be able to take a volunteer trip to all 50 states. And when it comes to giving back, many people feel that donating money over donating time is the way to go. What the Fulmers emphasize is that it's important to understand what works best for you and how you can maximize your own giving potential. They wanted to travel, so they combined that with their dream of helping as many people as possible.

"There are people who are artists or who are good with computers or who just like to work with their hands," says Lee Ellen. "There are opportunities for those people out there. They just have to find them. And so we wanted to bring light to that to show that everyone has the ability to help someone."

All hands in!

She continues, "Our simplest mission is to inspire people of all different talents to get out and use their talents to help their community."

"One of the things we've seen throughout this trip is that organizations, people in need, families, everyone — people are genuinely good at the core of themselves," adds Lindsey. "They want to help people. They just need an opportunity to do that."

Keep spreading that positive message, ladies!

The most amazing thing about Project Wave isn't the miles they racked up — it's the message they've spread along the way: Look in your hearts, find what it is you love, and use that special something to make an impact and pay it forward in your own little way.

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