'We Have A Purpose': Metallica Helps Baltimore Mom Land Life-Changing Job

December 1, 2025

A new career has completely transformed life for Baltimore resident Carmen DeBerry — and she has a very unexpected group of supporters to thank for it.

CBS News

DeBerry recently earned her commercial driver’s license through the Community College of Baltimore County, opening the door to a stable job that helps her provide for both her daughter and her mother.

But there was one major hurdle: CDL training can cost up to $7,500, a price tag far out of reach.

Enter… Metallica.

allwithinmyhands.org

Yes, that Metallica — the legendary rock band with more than 180 million albums sold worldwide. DeBerry received what she thought was simply a workforce scholarship, only to later learn it was actually funded through Metallica’s charity, All Within My Hands, which has donated over $10 million to workforce education programs across the country.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield says the mission behind the scholarship program is simple: celebrate and support the skilled trades. “Not everyone is built for college,” he told CBS News, noting his own roots as the son of a truck driver. He believes the next generation of success stories will come from hard-working tradespeople who keep the world running — the truck drivers, plumbers, electricians, and skilled workers who showed their importance especially during the pandemic.

Band members Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett, and Lars Ulrich echoed that sentiment, sharing that Metallica’s philanthropy started small — donating leftover food from tour venues — and grew into major support for food banks, disaster relief, and now, workforce development. From wildfires in Northern California to earthquakes and global crises, the band has quietly stepped in to help communities in need. Speaking publicly about their charity work doesn’t come naturally to them, but the impact is undeniable.

Their annual All Within My Hands benefit concert in Los Angeles has become a major event, raising millions and attracting supporters like actor Jason Momoa, a lifelong Metallica fan.

For Hetfield, seeing generations of fans and watching the band’s mission evolve has brought new clarity.

“It seems clearer that we have a purpose,” he said. “As you get older, you start to see the world in a different light… where you can be of service.”

And recently, Hetfield experienced that impact up close. Backstage at a show in Maryland, he met DeBerry for the first time. She told him that mentioning her Metallica scholarship during her job interview actually helped her land the position. The moment hit him hard.

“We get to go make some people smile out there,” Hetfield said, “but to get a one-on-one, heart-to-heart with somebody whose life you’ve changed… it changes mine.”

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