What started as a way to give people a reason to listen to his music became a charitable challenge for pop singer Neddy.

What if I donated any money I make? he thought to himself. “People would get new music, and the money would go to a good cause,” he says.

With this in mind, Neddy underwent a 30-day challenge last fall, with the royalties his music accumulated from streams on Spotify and Apple Music going to The Salvation Army.

Empathic Music

Having always enjoyed music and singing since he was young, Neddy’s first taste of taking it more seriously came in high school. Neddy recorded some songs, one of which gained traction and got him going on Soundcloud.

“That’s where it all started. I loved it and wanted to keep doing it.”

Inspired to create music that reflected what was going on in his life, Neddy began releasing melodic rap. However, as he got older, he adjusted to a more upbeat, emotional pop style. He cites his track Thinking of You as a turning point in his musical journey.

Transforming stories from the world around him into song has allowed him to write as if he’s in other people’s shoes. This technique has been a way for him to sing about conversations he has with God, allowing him to inject faith elements into his music.

“I wanted to make sure I was living life the way I should.” NEDDY

“Locked In”

A Christian who has been involved with The Salvation Army his entire life, Neddy attended Mississauga Community Church in Ontario and played baritone at music camps at Jackson’s Point Camp, Ont. But he stopped attending church regularly when he got to high school.

However, while at a low point in life a couple of years ago, he decided to dive deeper into the Bible.

“I had questions I wanted answers to,” Neddy reflects. “I wanted to make sure I was living life the way I should.”

He examined other faiths to ensure that Christianity was not just something he believed because he was born into it. This exploration allowed him to realize that Christianity felt right in his heart.

“I listened to the Bible on tape whenever I could,” he says, “at the gym, while driving to work. I was really locked in, and I’ve become a lot closer with my faith since.”

A Call on the Heart

During this time of life, Neddy connected with Joel Binner, community services director at The Salvation Army Mississauga Community Church.

“I’d always liked Joel even though I’d only seen him in passing,” he says. “I liked his energy and thought I’d get along with him. He reached out, and we just talked. I told him about my faith journey and how I’d gotten into the Bible.”

Joel remained in touch with Neddy. This mentoring relationship, along with Neddy’s experience with the church and his awareness of what the Army does and where the money goes, put Mississauga Community Church on Neddy’s mind as the end of his 30-day challenge drew near.

“I really wanted to help families in need. That was big for me,” he says. “I understand there’s lots of things that people are going through. I see that kids don’t always have supplies, backpacks, healthy lunches. I really like that the Army helps with that sort of thing.”

This call on Neddy’s heart was strengthened by his own experience as a father and rough times of his own, as well as his work with at-risk youth in schools and juvenile detention centres.

Next Steps

When Joel heard from Neddy, he was excited to see how “the phenomenal young man with a good head on his shoulders” wanted to give back to the community.

“He’s beginning to be recognized locally for his music, and using some of his own profits to give back shows a lot about him,” says Joel.

Though happy to give away $1,000 generated from nearly 290,000 streams, Neddy really appreciated Joel’s willingness to include him in the conversation.

“He didn’t just say give us the money,” he says. “Joel was open to hearing any of my ideas of what the money could go toward. He wanted me to be involved.”

“It is our goal to honour the donor with every penny that comes through the door,” Joel explains. “But what impresses me the most about Neddy is that while he’s someone who’s working on his own next steps, finding his way as a person and supporting his own family, he still recognizes the needs of others and wants to support his community. That’s not something to be taken lightly.”

Neddy is already thinking of other ways to gather donations, possibly for back-to-school season in the fall.

God at the Centre

While working toward a child and youth care degree and continuing to release music, Neddy strives to remember that having family, faith and happiness is what being rich means. As well, he encourages himself—and others—to keep to his mantra of being humble, working hard and looking to God.

For this, he cites Matthew 19:24.

“I don’t know how to put a camel through the eye of a needle,” he smiles. “But, God does. With Him, anything is possible. That’s a big part of being humble: Accepting assistance because you can’t do it yourself.”

Did You Know?

Neddy is the stage name of Nathaniel Anderson, evolved from a combination of his Jamaican heritage and a childhood nickname—and a mistaken pronunciation in a PlayStation live chat lobby that became an inside joke.

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