The Do Good Bus has added a little rock to its roll this year with the help of the band Foster the People. The volunteer-based organization let loose its L.A. parking brake in mid-September to join the band on a North American tour that connects people to the issues of their communities. But what was mapped out to be “altruistic adventurism” on wheels has slowly become much more than that. The Do Good Bus is challenging the way we define community.

Do Good Bus cofounder Rebecca Pontius said the premise for the “Foster the People” tour remains in stride – sleep deprivation aside – with their L.A. work, but the hot seat factor required a bit more screening. “On this tour, volunteers were asked to fill out an application and answer the question “what is community?” she said. “We reviewed all of the applications for each city and selected 30 volunteers for each.” The Do Good Bus aims to detach the radius and face aspects that traditionally tag along with community definitions in favor of the humanity community.

If the bus is a rockin’…

Teaming up with Foster the People has added the suspense of a possible rock invasion to an already suspenseful “destination unknown” philosophy. Destinations are still kept secret with the National tour to maximize the mystery factor and avoid any pre-conceived ideas about a cause.  Pontius says the band joins the bus whenever they can. To supplement their absence, the tour has added a smorgasbord of opportunities that allow do-gooders to “get and give.”

Recent Do Good excursions whisked volunteers to the welcome mat of NYC’s The Door, where they organized and stored clothing, emergency food and hygiene kits for the more than 2,000 runaway and homeless youth The Door helps every year. Pontius and her crew have 22 cities, 25 causes and 9,880 miles to conquer by October 20, when the tour officially winds down.

There are still seats left on some of the upcoming Do Good, Foster the People adventures, but Pontius warns there is a real challenge in remembering all the “amazing moments” so be sure to bring your camera and an open heart.

You can keep up to speed with the Do Good Bus’ adventures and get a feel for their philanthropic vibe by dropping by and taking a gander at the list of causes the org has helped or checking out their blog.

–Li St. Michael

How do you define community?