BORN FROM PAIN x HHF for Die Tafel, HHF and STOPP-ACTA!

On the upcoming BORN FROM PAIN – Change Or Die Tour, BFP and the HARDCORE HELP FOUNDATION will be cooperating again continuing what they started together in December 2011: collecting money and food for Die Tafel / soup kitchens and clothes for homeless / street kids shelters in the local communities of the cities the tour hits. Because of the big success and amazing feedback we got from all organizations involved we decided to continue the initiative for this tour as well. 

Bring canned / packed food and merch / clothes donations to the shows and we will collect them and make sure they get delivered to the local organizations. Also money donations are more than welcome!

Another thing we are supporting is the STOPP-ACTA! movement. STOPP-ACTA ! is trying to  get attention for the struggle against complete censorship of one of our last sources of free speech, the internet . Since information (especially critical information) is crucial to knowing what really goes on in this world and voicing your opinion using your right to free speech is too, we are trying to donate to the movement and inform people about this huge threat to one of our basic freedoms.

Come to the shows and support!

Here is where CHANGE OR DIE TOUR is going:

20.04. Weinheim – Café Central (Germany) 

21.04. Leipzig – Impericon Festival (Germany) + PARKWAY DRIVE, etc.

22.04. Wroclaw – Hardbowl (Poland)  + SHEER TERROR

23.04. Berlin – Cassiopeia (Germany) + HEIGHTS

24.04. Frankfurt – Elfer (Germany) + HEIGHTS

25.04. Schoten – Kaddish (Belgium) + HEIGHTS

26.04. Eindhoven – Dynamo (Netherlands) + HEIGHTS

27.04. Vroomshop – Poppodium Het Front (Netherlands) + HEIGHTS

28.04. Salzwedel – Hanseat (Germany) + HEIGHTS + AYS

29.04. Stuttgart – Pirate Satelite Festival (Germany) + HEIGHTS

30.04. Oberwolfach – Wolfsklause (Germany) + HEIGHTS

01.05. Luzern – Sedel (Switzerland) + HEIGHTS

02.05. Wien – Area (Austria) + HEIGHTS

03.05. Cham – L.A. Cham (Germany) + HEIGHTS 

04.05. Bremen – Tower (Germany) + HEIGHTS

05.05. Köln – MTC (Germany) + HEIGHTS

News from Kenya!

We did it again. One week ago, Monday 26th March HHF sponsored the second Medical Camp for the people of the Gioto dump site in Nakuru, Kenya. Thanks to HHF Saskia was on location again and will now give a full report:

Beginning of March. Mike Brawan and I talk on the phone. He is the guy who helped us organising the first camp in January and he is the one providing regular updates on the situation of the people in the slum. When I talked to him on the phone he informed me of a recent outbreak of chest infections in the Gioto area and that another Medical Camp in the near future would be of great help.

Only two weeks later I found myself on a plane to Nairobi, carrying lots of HHF merch and a huge banner with me. By the time I reached Nakuru Mike Brawan had already pulled most strings to organise everything, so in a few meetings we only had to discuss some details, such as the exact location, the number of staff, the selection of medication and the overall budget.

Since the first camp went really well we all had really high expectations for the second one. There is always room for improvements, hence new location, more medication and a bit more publicity. After going through the patient's medical records of the first camp, the doctors were able to create a more comprehensive list of medications for the next camp. This time we also included equipment to test and treat malaria and a lot of drugs for chest-, eye- and skin-infections.



The camp itself went really well. We started at 9am and finished around 5pm. The original plan was to do two camps in one day (one in Gioto and one in Rhonda slum), but in the end of the day we decided that Gioto had priority and that we did not want to leave any of the patients here untreated. The leftover medication, however, will be used in a small Medical Camp in Rhonda in the near future. Exact dates will be announced.

This time round most of our patients were young mothers with their babies. There is two explanations for that. Firstly women and children are the slum's main population and secondly most of the boys and men try to work during the day. Unfortunately there is also a large group of men who cannot be bothered to work or go to Medical Camps, they sit around in little groups and get high from glue and self-brewed alcohol that occasionally turns them blind. They usually don't want anything to do with people from "the outside", so we mostly deal with women and children. 

We also had two cases of severe malnutrition. There was one "baby", which was actually 12 months old and only had a weight of FIVE (5) KG. We made sure that from now on the kid has access to special nutrition to ensure growth.



After all the patients on the dump site were treated the doctors still had some spare time, so we spontaneously decided to visit my Kenyan host mum in her children's rescue centre to check up on her babies as well. Regina Wangui, her husband, her volunteer Charlotte from England and some staff members are looking after 8 children aged 2 months to about 5 years. Most of them were abandoned by their parents or left behind in hospitals, due to lack of interest and responsibility, cases of incest or physical disabilities caused by cerebral palsy. While Regina's husband and grown-up daughters are all working and doing their best to provide for the family and the babies, the children's centre is still hugely dependent on donations. A free medical check-up by our Medical Camp doctors helped them a lot!

The next camps are planned for July and October and in addition to that we want to plan other projects once we are on location again. And who knows, maybe HHF Rico will be attending the next Medical Camp himself?

-report by Saskia Franzen 02.04.2012

WATERDOWN supports the hardcore help Foundation. Brings to the data of their starting tour (05.04 Hamburg - harbour sound / 06.04. Berlin - Cassiopeia / 07.04. Lüdenscheid - nature / 20.04. Lindau - Club vaudeville / 21.04. Saarbrücken - garage / 04.05. Großefehn - floppy ear / 05.05. Ibbenbüren - barn) old hardcore / punk / metal shirts with and donate them! Waterdown collects them. They will auction the complete box at the end of the tour, and donate the proceeds. Good thing! In the clip, we show what they give to do so, and why.

 Please, share this video: http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=w2zY1eUwodk

30.03 Germany - Lichtenstein http://www.facebook.com/events/290404361003249/

31.03 Holland - Hengelo HHF Hardcore benefit show at Innocent/Hengelo, Holland

07.04 Denmark - Fredericia  Hardcore Help Foundation Benefit! DK

05.05 Sweden - Stockholm  

02.06 Italy - Rome 

(Showcases in Slovenia, Philippines, France, Spain and USA tba later this year/early 2013) 

New medical camp in Kenya is planned in two weeks. This time it will be 2 days and bigger. More people will be checked and theres more medicines for the people. Plan is to set up 3 tents on 26 & 27 March on a different location. Now near the slums. Camp will have 3 doctors, hiv team + security, workers & transport. We keep you posted!

Skateboard decks are soon available (made by Michiel Walrave).

In 5 sizes: 7,5", 7,75", 8", 8,5" and an oldschool '80s shape of 9".

Price will be €50,- + shippings.

Drop a mail if you're interested: info@hardcore-help.com 

Today we did a donation delivery at Raum 58, night shelter for homeless young people in Essen. We dropped off two car trunks with clothes, canned food and hygiene stuff. We're working on a plan to support them and other ruhrpott streetkids more. This spring our association Flotte is starting a power & anti aggression course where they can join to rebuild their confidence. More infos about this coming soon 

Stick to your Guns from Orange County California has donated 1000 dollars to the HHF. We're also gonna do a collaboration shirt together. It will be available soon at their merchtable or in our onlineshop. Thanks so much guys

www.myspace.com/styg

www.facebook.com/STYGoc

Medical Camp: 6. Januar 2012 - Nakuru, Kenia 

Maybe I should introduce myself really quick. My name is Saskia, 22, and I study Art History & English in Düsseldorf (Germany) & Brighton (England). In September 2010 I went to Kenya for the first time to take part in a volunteer programme organised by the New Zealand-based organisation IVHQ (International Voluteer Headquarters). The original plan was to be an English teacher in a school in Nairobi. But we all know that most of the time things do not turn out the way we expect, so instead I was placed in the town of Nakuru, which is roughly 200km away from Kenya's capital Nairobi.

With only two days preparation time we have achieved what we had almost given up on: A Medical Camp as sort of a Christmas surprise for the people of the Gioto Garbage Slum in Nakuru, Kenya.

But let me explain it step by step: Why were we about to give up? And why the rush? What is WE supposed to mean anyway? A lot of questions to be answered.



With two other volunteers from Vancouver and New York I began to work in Gioto Garbage Slum, which is basically the town's dump-site that about 600 people call their come. The project had only been started by the British volunteer Ross Floyd a couple of weeks prior and so we were more or less starting from scratch. As a part of our work we were bonding with the people, playing with the kids, profiling families, trying to find sponsors to send kids to school, regularly sending water trucks, initiating self-sustainability projects and  organising medical camps. Over the last 1 1/2 years numerous volunteers regularly planned fund raising events in order to afford all these projects.

December 2011: I'm flying to Kenya for the 4th time. Hannah from the UK (in Kenya for the 2nd time), Melissa from Switzerland & Maggie from Canada (both in Kenya since September) and I have big plans for the upcoming couple of weeks. Hannah & Melissa both did a lot of fund raising and so we were able to make sure that almost all of the kids return to school in January. In addition to that we organised some surprises for Christmas (water trucks, presents for the kids, a trip to the lake...). The Medical Camp was supposed to be part of those surprises. It was scheduled for the December 19th, but then had to be postponed to the 22nd and 29th. In the end all three dates were cancelled for organisational reason. We were close to giving up when we decided to change our main contact person. This was on Wednesday, January 4th and things finally took a turn.

Friday, January 6th: Even though the set-up of the camp does not start until 9am, I already find myself in the busy and crowded town by 8 o'clock to rund some last errands. I print the logo of the Hardcore Help Foundation a couple of times (I would have loved to make some sort of banner, but there simply wasn't enough time) and buy drinking water and snacks for today's staff. I meet Melissa in town and we both share a tuktuk (small, motorised vehicle with three wheels; incredibly loud and shaky) to the slum. We spent the last part of the trip walking, since the street is more of a dirt track and in a very bad condition.

My main task today is to document the Medical Camp in form of photos and videos and to keep the staff happy (regularly provide drinking water, prepare lunch, etc.) and run other errands if necessary. When we first started the camp we only had a regular thermometer for taking temperature under the arm. However, it turned out to be rather ineffective, due to long waiting times, especially when taking the temperature of sick and intimidated children (some of them have never seen white people or "mzungu" before) and have difficulties trusting us. So I spontaneously decided to hop on a pikipiki (motorbike-taxi) and go into town to buy an ear-thermometer at the pharmacy. After getting some cotton wool and disinfectant for cleaning the thermometer after each patient I found myself on the back of the pikipiki again. Conclusion: Eat-thermometer was the best purchase ever and will be of great use at the next medical camps.

After waiting for a short while a small truck shows up in the slum and a couple of men begin to set up a huge tent. I should probably mention that today's location is not exactly in Gioto Garbage Slum, but an area called "London", which borders Gioto. The big advantage of this location is that not only we can treat people from two slum, but also that we have access to two small rooms in a proper building. This will allow the HIV-testing- and consulting team and their patients a lot more privacy.

While outside the men are still building up the tent, some preparations are made inside the rooms. Hamis (assistant of our new main contact person Mike Brawan) and his team of doctors, nurses and security staff equip the rooms with chairs and tables and cover the tables with paper table cloth. In the main room there is three different areas: the pharmacy, a small waiting area and an area where the doctor consults his patients. The HIV team is allocated the smaller back-room for privacy reasons.

While we are still setting up the camp our first patient is already sitting in the treatment room. It is a little girl and her face looks swollen, the area around her eyes in particular. She has come all by herself, since her parents are both at work. This case of a child coming by themselves will not remain an exception today. Out side more and more people are arriving-

Step number one for each patient is to get registered. This happens in the big tent outside. Each patient is registered on a list with patient number and full name. In the next step these information are copied onto the patient file (preprinted sheet of paper). The patients take this file to the next station (also in the tent), where Melissa and Maggie take their blood pressure and temperature and document it on the file. At the same time a nurse writes down their medical conditions. After this everyone gets back in line in order to wait to see the doctor.

Back in the slum I really can't hide my excitement any more. Everything is working smoothly Almost automatically! Everyone has a task and no one is idle - something that doesn't always happen naturally when in Africa.

Two teenagers from the slum are helping us writing down the patient's information. At first we were not entirely sure if this was a good idea, but both Joseph and Beatrice did a great job. And it made us think - maybe this is exactly what a lot of these young, but quite troubled adults need. The feeling of being important, a part of something bigger and having a responsibility.

At 5:30pm the Medical Camp is over. My excitement continues when I realise that I am working with truly professional people. Kenya people are really good at just dropping everything at the end of a day and disappear. But these people would prove me wrong. Within 30 minutes the tent was taken down, left-over packed into boxes, chairs and tables removed from the rooms and trash taken to the bins. Thumbs up!

Oh and before I forget - the T-shirts were a big hit! The staff was proper disappointed when I had to announce that I don't have any left! ;-)

26.12.2011 Karlsruhe – Club Stadtmitte

The first tour stop was in Karlsruhe. We were all looking forward to the upcoming five shows and did not really know what to expect and how big the food- and clothes donations would be, as none of us has ever had experienced this before. There was a lot of organizing to do beforehand and we were excited to see what would come out of it at the end of the tour. All associations were really chuffed by our idea and we didn’t want to let anybody down.

The people in Karlsruhe were awesome and donated money, food, clothes for the homeless and also donations in kind, like pots and pans. Furthermore the Club itself donated a lot of Jackets for the homeless young kids and we could even organize a long-term cooperation between the Club “Stadtmitte” and Iglu Obdachlosenverein (for homeless young people).

Born from Pain and BDHW also donated 20 % of their merch-revenue each show, so at the end the Karlsruher Tafel e.V. and the Iglu Obdachlosenverein for young people received not only food and clothes but also some money donations. THANK YOU KARLSRUHE!

27.12.2011  Suhl – Bullet

Our next stop was in Suhl. We had a good journey and really had a lot of luck with the weather. The show was really good for a Tuesday evening, even though AYS were not able to play. They unfortunately got stuck in Karlsruhe because their van broke down and it took too long to repair it. 

Also here in Suhl the people brought a lot of great things, particularly the childrens’ books and games where very helpful, as the “Suhler Tafel” especially attends to young kids in need. Mr. Öltermann from the Tafel was really surprised when he got a phone call from the HHF explaining, what our plans where and was astonished to see this kind of help from young people. “We need more fresh ideas like this” he told us and was very thankful for the donations we gave him right after the concert. THANK YOU to the 300 people who came out to the show in Suhl!

28.12.2011 Rostock – Zuckerfabrik

The next stop was in Rostock. After six hours drive we all arrived sound and safe at the venue. Also AYS made it all the way from Karlsruhe and we were happy to see them back again. The show here was not as full as expected, but still some people brought a few things for the Obdachlosenhilfe Rostock e.V., which the guys from Born from Pain delivered right on the next morning. Thank you Rostock!

29.12.2011 Cottbus – Gladhouse

Our second last stop was in Cottbus. After three successful shows the merch guys and girls knew how to set everything up really quick already and we all could relax and wait for the first people to come. And damn, this was a cool show! Loads of great feedback and donations for the Cottbuser Tafel e.V. and Albert-Schweitzer – Familienwerk. Thank you all for bringing us canned food, clothes and money.

Zusammen mit Born From Pain, AYS und The Platoon haben wir eine Nach-Weihnachtsaktion auf die Beine gestellt, bei der für die lokalen Tafeln der jeweiligen Städte und für Vereine, die sich um Benachteiligte kümmern, Lebensmittel-und Sachspenden gesammelt werden. Was im Einzelnen vor Ort benötigt wird findet ihr im untenstehenden Link: 

Avocado Booking donated a HUGE box with merch. Its full with rare shirts. We'll upload it soon in our shop.

More great news: our association Flotte e.V received a big donation from the Sparda bank in Bochum: €5000,-. Picture is coming

This is our youtube channel - there're 2 videos now online. More to follow very soon

http://www.youtube.com/user/HARDCOREHELP

The benefit sampler has arrived today. Its NOW available in our onlineshop 

Pre-order your benefit package now in our onlineshop. It will include a HHF Benefit Sampler (2cd) + Beanie and a poster. 

The hhf compilation will feature 50 bands with more then 20 rare and unreleased tracks on a double cd. Featuring: Ragnarok (Japan), Terror (US), Born from Pain (NL), Biohazard (US), Numb (Japan), No Turning Back (NL), Deez Nuts (Aus), Billy The Kid (Costa Rica), Ruckus (US), Lifeless (US), Edge of Spirit (Japan), No Second Chance (UK), World of Pain (US), Look My Way (Ger), Brainwreck (South Africa), Between Earth & Sky (US), Onesta (Fra), Empowerment (Ger), All For Nothing (NL), World Eater (Ger), Enemy Ground (NL), The Ice (Antarctica), Stigma (US), We Ride (Spain), Xibalba (US), The Platoon (Ger), Guilty (Swe), AYS (Ger), Grankapo (Por), Six Ft Ditch (UK), Copykill (Ger), Get it Done (Ger), Overlord (Bel), Dead End Tragedy (Ger), Bet The Devil (US), Blood By Days (Ger), State of Mind (NL), Strikeback (US), Doggy Hoods (Japan), For The Glory (Por), Embraced by Hatred (Ger), Red Eyed Devil (US), Dead Reprice (Swe), St.Hood (Fin), Fallbrawl (Ger), The Departed (UK), CDC (US), 45 Stainless (Fin), Overcome (Por), The Setup (Bel), The Con (Ger)

Click the link to go direct to the pre-order: 

http://hardcorehelpfoundation.limitedpressing.com/products/14175 

Reality Records putting this Madball - nyhc 7" testpress up to auction for the HHF. Only 10 made, this is Nr. 5/10. Highest bidder at the moment is 30 euros.

Send your bid to info@hardcore-help.com

Hardcore Help Foundation is buying two motorcycles for One Hundred For Haiti. An organisation who gives direct action humanitarian rebuilding support for the people of Haiti after the earthquake. These vehicles will create new jobs, bring supplyings and medicine faster to the people. We'll soon have benefitshirts from this organisation also in our shop.

Martin Stroeter has won the shirtcontest! We congratulate you and thanks for this nice effort!

The HHF is supporting One Hundred For Haiti. This organisation is a global collective of individuals, artists, businesses, and other organisations who are providing direct action, humanitarian aid through relief initiatives and rebuilding projects to help in the healing process of post-earthquake Haiti. More infos about this organisation go to http://onehundredforhaiti.org/

On the 4 & 5 of November there's a benefit show for us in Finland. We'll also be there with a merchbooth. Everybody who's attending to this, please check your closet if you have some merch you dont wear anymore. Anything is welcome. Kiitos! 

On 30th September there's a Zwischenfall benefit show in Bochum with several local bands. Part of the entrance will also go to the familys who lost everything. The HHF will have a merchbooth there and will proceed all profit that day to those people.

We got some new hhf merch in stock: babybody & hhfshirt black. More infos about the college jackets coming up. They will be vegan

Its time for a new competition!!!

Terror will be on tour in a few months and we'll doing a collaboration shirt together with The HHF. We having a new contest. You want to design a cool shirt for us? 

The winners design will be printed and available at the Persistance tour. Plus wins a ticket to one of the shows. Submit your creactions to info@hardcore-help.com 

We pick out a winner at the end of this month. Good luck!

We're working on a benefit compilation. It's coming out in a few months. It will feature +30 bands: 

All for Nothing, Born from Pain, CDC, Xibalba, St.Hood, Enemy Ground, Doggy Hoods, Dead Reprise, AYS, Get it Done, Look My Way, Onesta, Red Eyed Devil, Blood by Days, Fallbrawl, Overcome to name a few. More bands & infos and releasedate tba soon

Presale tickets of the HHF showcase are now available in our onlineshop. More infos about this event go to the hhfshowcase FB eventpage. Click the link below to buy tickets directly:

http://hardcorehelpfoundation.​limitedpressing.com/products/1​1769

Joe Riverside of Rhinoceros gives an update: 

"Hello my name is Joe Riverside and I am writing to give you guys an update on my friend Mike Bird. Mike is doing very well considering the circumstances. He is up and walking with the use of a cain but still has serious nerve damage that limits his movement an use of his arms and legs. He was released form the hospital this past week but still has many many months of therapy ahead and they still don't know if he will fully recover. He is in great spirits and is very thankful for all the help he has gotten from the worldwide hardcore community. 

It is an amazing thing what Rico and the HHF do to help people around the world. More people and bands need to be involved with an organization like this. I talk to rico almost daily now and it seems like he is constantly working on stuff for the HHF. Endless hours to help complete strangers around the world. I myself am doing lots of work to help my friend my bird and in the future I looked forward to helping Rico in other ventures that will benefit those in need around the world. 

Thanks again to all of you and I look forward to shaking hands with everyone involved with the HHF when we come over and play the HHF showcase in the fall."

HHF belts are now online. New hhfshirt designs made by Michiel Walrave are ordered. Today 4 boxes of donated merch came in, so keep checking our shop the next days.

About 50 kids in Miyagi made drawings & letters to an integrated school in Germany. 

Shirtcontest winners are now available in our onlineshop. Also watch out for a shirtdesign made by Michiel Walrave 

The HHF is supporting the Bundesverband Deutsche Tafel e.V. This association is supplying youthcentres, schools and homelesscentres with food. For an example the tafel in the city of Essen deliveres food to the JZE. They pursue the aim to obtain flawless foodstuffs from wholesalers, retailers, markets and bakeries and to distribute these to people in need. Food for the needy!!!

RHINOCEROS from Buffalo (US/Eulogy) will be playing The HHF showcase on 16th September. We're very glad that they are part of our benefit showcase. Singer Joe Riverside did a lot of great work to set up benefits for his friend Mike Bird. Rhinoceros is going to tour around that date. If you would like to set up a show or know anyone who's interested get in touch.

We're planning our first trip to the US. The HHF will have a merchstand in July at the SOH fest "the mosh olympics" in Cleveland (with Cold as life, Wisdom in Chains, Bulldoze & lots more great bands). Next week we'll be at Vainstream in Germany. Big festival with 15.000 people (bands like Motörhead, Madball, Boys Setsfire are playing). If you're attending please bring some merch or buy some cheap stuff at our booth.

If you would to have us on your fest or concert, get in touch with us. 

BIG DEMOTAPE SALE: Justice, Cheap Thrills, The Suicide File, Stop and Think, Abusive Action, The Ice, Just Went Black, RZL DZL, Foreseen, Nothing Done, Restless Youth, Jaguarz, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Black Friday, Justice "Break out", Settle The Score. If you're interested in one of them, drop a mail to rico@17stitches.com. All profit goes to the hhf

Date is set for our first HHF showcase. Mark your calender: Friday 16 September. Location will be in Essen/Germany. All profit from this show goes to our projects. First bands are TRIAL, NO TURNING BACK, FOR THE GLORY, ANCHOR, RUN WITH THE HUNTED, ONESTA, GET IT DONE & BRAVESTAR. More bands & infos will be announced soon.

When you're in a band - sign up a shop there and sell your stuff better and quicker!

Limitedpressing-Shops have a digital-download-code-Generator as well!

Thank you!



Cruel Hand & Dude SWHC @ Würzburg

First items in our official onlineshop are added. There's more stuff coming online in the next days, also new hhf benefit merch available in stock. Check the link and please spread the word.

Toby H2O & Björn Get It Done representing the HHF

The HHF would like to thank everybody who came to the show in Essen. Lots of people donated or bought our merch. We colleted about € 907. We received lots of great feedback with new ideas.

HHF benefitmerch will soon available in several hc onlineshops!

Watch out for a HC compilation "Benefit for Japan", a collaboration of Japanese, US & Euro hc Bands (No Turning Back, Next Step Up, Sand (Osaka), Doggyhoods, lots of more tba) to come out this fall. More news about this release coming soon.



Mike Bird

HHF get's involved into the Buffalo Straight Edge Scene & helped out.

What's it about:

MIKE BIRD, regular show-goer, hardcore kid, and a member of the Buffalo Straight Edge community, was knocked to the ground by a stage-diver. Hitting his back and head on the concrete floor, Mike had to be rushed to the hospital via ambulance to be treated for his injuries. Unable to move his limbs, or feel any pain in his lower-body, Mike received emergency spinal surgery for his injuries.
The official diagnosis indicates that Mike broke the C5 and C6 vertebrae in his neck. With no feeling in his legs, it is unclear how soon 19-year old Mike will regain use of his lower body and be able to walk (or mosh) again.

Donate & get involved:

http://betterxtimes.blogspot.com/2011/04/mike-bird.html

Here's a class picture from the school of our friend. This picture is taken before the disaster and will never be the same.

Some of these kids have lost their house or family, or didnt survived.
It is our goal with The HHF is to help these kids and to see them smile again.