Matt Nathanson has put his money where his mouth is. In an effort to make real and lasting change in the world, Nathanson has partnered with Starkey Hearing Foundation to raise awareness and funds for the hearing impaired. Nathanson recently made the 24-hour journey from San Francisco, CA to Huancayo, Peru to volunteer with the Foundation team and distribute over 1,000 hearing aids and after care to people in need. The resulting video of Matt’s trip is not only a moving document of his time there, but also serves to raise funds for Starkey Hearing Foundation to continue their distribution efforts around the world. 100% of proceeds from the video are being donated to the Foundation by Matt and his label, Vanguard Records. The more the VEVO/YouTube link is posted and shared and clicked, the more funds Starkey Hearing Foundation will receive.

Nathanson says of the experience, “If I couldn’t hear, I would be lost. Because I play music for a living, hearing is everything…It ignites something in you when you do work like this. I feel like this is the beginning of a life of giving back.”

“When we help someone hear, we provide a way for them to connect with others and experience the world around them,” says Bill Austin, Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “With the support of passionate partners and hearing angels like Matt Nathanson, we help people in need around the world reach their full potential and engage with the things, like music, that add color and joy to their lives.”

October is also both National Audiology Awareness Month & National Hearing Protection month. Starkey Hearing Foundation uses hearing as a vehicle to reflect caring and change lives around the world. Disabling hearing loss affects more than 360 million people, including 32 million children, worldwide, yet many do not have access to the hearing devices that can help them. Starkey Hearing Foundation fits and gives more than 100,000 hearing aids annually, and as a member of President Clinton’s Global Initiative, it has pledged to fit one million hearing aids this decade. In addition to giving the gift of hearing through worldwide hearing missions, they also promote hearing health awareness and education through the Listen Carefully campaign and provides hearing instruments to low-income Americans through the Hear Now program.

Watch the heartwarming video above.