Top 10 The Voice Contestants Volunteer and Give Back – The Voluntourist
Top 10 The Voice Contestants Volunteer – While the top 10 contestants of The Voice are battling it out for the grand prize, there’s something else the evolving artists are doing–giving back. Long before the singers made it onto the Emmy-winning reality show, they were volunteering with various charitable organizations and local communities, and they’re now able to highlight those efforts with their new platform.
The Voluntourist talked to the remaining finalists about the inspiring ways they give back, which causes are important to them and why.
TEAM ADAM
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416B -- Pictured: (l-r) Jackie Verna, Adam Levine, Rayshun Lamarr -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)THE VOICE — “Live Top 11” Episode 1416B — Pictured: (l-r) Jackie Verna, Adam Levine, Rayshun Lamarr — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
Rayshun LaMarr
Age: 33
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC–resides in Fort Washington, MD
Cause: Cancer research and Duke Ellington School of the Arts
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Rayshun Lamarr -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)THE VOICE — “Live Top 11” Episode 1416A — Pictured: Rayshun Lamarr — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)
“I would love to do work with St. Jude and anything to do with cancer research. I just want to help people because I went through that and I know how it feels to try to wonder when you’re next or if you’re going to have enough money to pay for your medical bills. I was super shocked when I was told I had cancer. Cancer runs in my family. I didn’t know what my lifespan was. I was 25 when I was diagnosed and I had lymphoma cancer. I was rushed to the hospital and I get up to move rooms and I my legs gave out and my vision gave out. I blacked out and woke up in the ER room. My mom was at the edge of the bed and the doctor said, “you have to call your family because he’s probably not going to make it over night.” So if I can be a positive influence to anyone, call me and I’ll be there. I want to give so much support to whoever I can. In addition, I want to give back to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts because they’ve been a huge influence in my career and gave me the right schooling and basics I needed.”
Jackie Verna
Age: 23
Hometown: Sickleville, NJ–resides in Westchester, PA
Cause: Cancer fundraising
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Jackie Verna -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)THE VOICE — “Live Top 11” Episode 1416A — Pictured: Jackie Verna — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
“I’m a Penn State student and we have Thon, which is something we do every year. It’s a fundraiser for kids with cancer all year-long. At the end of the school year, there’s this huge 48 hour-long dance party that we dance to raise money. You raise money the entire year, but it’s this is a 48 hour event and they have big performers come in. You’re dancing for 48 hours raising money. You meet families throughout the entire year and they get to come to Thon and it’s a really magical experience. Basically everyone in the entire school takes part in it.”
TEAM ALICIA
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 12" Episode 1415B -- Pictured: (l-r) Jackie Foster, Britton Buchanan, Alicia Keys, Christiana Danielle -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)THE VOICE
Britton Buchanan
Age: 18
Hometown: Sanford, NC
Cause: Vietnam Vets and Red
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Britton Buchanan -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
“One of my favorite [charities] is Red, Bono led Red. It’s for AIDS research and to find a cure to help people with this terrible disease. I’m also big into the 60s culture, so I feel like the Vietnam War was a big tragedy in our country. Not only was it a tragedy, but it was a tragedy how people were treated when they came back. Most people didn’t want to go and for good reason. I’ve organized benefit concerts for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and it means a lot to me. A lot of my favorite musicians grew up during this time period. Bruce Springsteen is my all-time favorite and he writes a lot about the Vietnam War. The drummer from his first band was killed in action in Vietnam. He was almost drafted but failed his physical because of prior injuries he had in his motorcycle accident. He was talking about in his book recently how he did everything he could do dodge the draft, but he wondered who went in his place. People were my age when they were getting sent off. There’s a guy who was killed in action in Vietnam who is buried two minutes from my house and he was 18. Plus we live in a very tumultuous time and I couldn’t imagine being drafted. It scares me.”
Christiana Danielle
Age: 23
Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN
Cause: Charis House
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Christiana Danielle -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)THE VOICE — “Live Top 11” Episode 1416A — Pictured: Christiana Danielle — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
“I’m a social worker and I volunteer at Charis House, it’s a rescue mission in Fort Wayne. It’s a women’s shelter and every Friday you lead worship and throughout the week you do devotion and just hang out with the women. I was a case manager there. I love the ladies from the Charis House so much! They’re near and dear to my heart. It’s the first place I worked at as a social worker. It’s homeless women and children and it’s a Christian organization. It ties in all the things I love– helping people, charity and the word of God.”
Jackie Foster
Age: 22
Hometown: Poway, CA– resides in Boston, Mass
Cause: Anti-bullying and Relay for Life
THE VOICE — “Live Playoffs” Episode 1415A — Pictured: Jackie Foster — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
“I unfortunately was a victim of bullying–very, very severe bullying. Because I’ve decided to be outspoken about my experiences, which are horrible and I wish they never happened to me, I got in contact with my middle school and we started an organization called Soul Effects. Soul Effects is an organization that’s in all middle schools in San Diego County. Just having a resource for students in middle school to be able to have a safe place to go, to talk, to be with friends [and] talk to other people that are experiencing. I think the biggest epidemic with people who are bullied is that they don’t talk about it. It took me four years to talk about it [because I was so traumatized] and I wish I had spoken up sooner. It probably would have saved me a lot of heartache and a lot of horrible thoughts. Soul Effects is an organization that I’m proud to be a part of, proud to. be a founder of. Another [organization] I love is Relay for Life. My dad is a cancer survivor and every single year when I have the opportunity to, I go and I sing at the Relay for Life events because it’s amazing to uplift people who are either still surviving cancer or getting through it or in remission.”
TEAM BLAKE
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 12" Episode 1415B -- Pictured: (l-r) Spensha Baker, Blake Shelton, Pryor Baird, Kyla Jade -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)
Pryor Baird
Age: 35
Hometown: Old Orcutt–resides in Nashville, TN
Cause: Wounded Warrior Project and Keeping the Blues Alive
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Pryor Baird -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
“From the very beginning I made sure that any sort of proceeds from whatever happens, I give it all to the Wounded Warrior Project as well as Keeping the Blues Alive, which is a foundation for kids and schools to make sure the blues and music is still kept alive. I had it in school and it was a lot of fun to listen to. [For Wounded Warrior Project] we live in the greatest country in the world [and] the reason we get to do that is because people put their life on the line every single day. It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on–we wake up free. We’re all sitting here right now and able to do this and have a peaceful conservation with no problems. All of the proceeds from my merchandise and iTunes and anything goes to them.
Spensha Baker
Hometown: San Antonio, TX–resides in Boerne, TX
Cause: The military
THE VOICE -- "Live Playoffs" Episode 1414B -- Pictured: Spensha Baker -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)
“I have a huge heart for the military. My father just retired after 30 years and my mom was in for 13 years. I have a huge heart for the military and I think that’s pretty evident in country music too. So I think now that I’ve reemerged into music and have a platform like this, it’s definitely something I want to get into.”
Kyla Jade
Age: 33
Hometown: Topeka, KS–resides in Nashville, TN
Cause: Ministries
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Kyla Jade -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)
“My focus is always on African American women and single mothers. I do a lot of work with young girls and I work primarily with my church. I volunteer a lot with my ministries there. Then I’m looking to start a couple of things when I go back to Nashville. I work at Cathedral Praise in Nashville and do a lot of charity work around the city. We feed the homeless, there is a food bank and clothing bank at my church every week and we have summer programs that are free for students to come after school. It’s very important that the community knows that’s what the church is for and that the community knows it’s available to them.”
TEAM KELLY
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 12" Episode 1415B -- Pictured: (l-r) Kaleb Lee, Kelly Clarkson, Brynn Cartelli -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
Brynn Cartelli
Age: 15
Hometown: Long Meadow, MA
Cause: Children’s Hospital
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Brynn Cartelli -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
“When I was home I visited the children’s hospital and it was really great because they knew who I was because they were watching me. I’ve been there and I’m an athlete and I get injured, so it was cool to go back there and talk to people. It was really touching that I had this opportunity to reach so many people who have been going through a lot.”
Kaleb Lee
Age: 32
Hometown: Benton, KY–resides in Ormond Beach, FL
Cause: Adoption/Foster Care
THE VOICE -- "Live Top 11" Episode 1416A -- Pictured: Kaleb Lee -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)
“I’m really involved in our church and my wife and I adopted as well. I would love to continue to raise awareness for those adoptions close to us. I would love to see more kids find a home. I’m partially adopted. My biological mother married, who is now my dad, when I was 4. I never met my biological dad. I was blessed to some degree because I wasn’t completely abandoned like so many kids are today, but you get a taste of a parent not being there, or never meeting a parent. For me it was always something I was lucky to have family to help me get through it, but I always really connected with other kids that don’t have parents. It’s a terrible thing and I would love to see whether it’s biological parents or adoptive parents, it’s having parents that love them and take care of them and prepare them for the world. It’s much more important than anything.”