About Riffs for Heroes

From a Stand Down video
to a nonprofit.

How a ninth grader's guitar turned into a mission for San Diego's veterans.

The Founder

Arjun Karthik

I'm a ninth grader at Del Norte High School, and Riffs for Heroes is my nonprofit. I've played guitar for years, and I wanted to find a way to put it to use for something bigger than a hobby.

It started when I came across footage from a Veterans Village of San Diego Stand Down event — a gathering where veterans experiencing homelessness or hardship can access housing help, medical care, and basic services for a few days. Watching that, I saw how many people who served this country are still fighting battles most of us never see. That's what pushed me to act.

So Riffs for Heroes became my answer: perform live for veterans at Veterans Village of San Diego, and play fundraising sets at local venues like Roadies Brewery, donating everything raised back to the Village's programs.

How It Started

The path to Riffs for Heroes

The Spark

Watching Veterans Village of San Diego's Stand Down footage

Seeing veterans line up for housing help, medical care, and basic support made the problem real and immediate — not something abstract in the news.

The Idea

Turning guitar practice into purpose

Instead of just playing for myself, I started thinking about how live music could bring a moment of normalcy and connection to veterans directly.

The Launch

Riffs for Heroes is founded

Two efforts, one mission: perform on-site at Veterans Village of San Diego, and raise money at venues like Roadies Brewery to donate straight back to their programs.

What Drives Us

The pillars behind every show

01

Show up in person

Performing live at Veterans Village of San Diego means being present with veterans, not just donating from a distance.

02

Give everything raised

Every dollar collected at fundraising shows goes directly to Veterans Village of San Diego — no cut, no overhead.

03

Keep it sustainable

Regular performances, not one-off events — building a consistent presence veterans and venues can count on.

Want to help this mission grow?

Whether it's a donation, a venue invite, or just sharing the story — every bit helps.

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