(cheery theme music) - Hello, neighbors.

Welcome to Look for the Helpers, Portraits in Community Service.

I'm your host, Cynthia Tyler.

For as long as people have lived together, there have been those who have been inspired to give freely of themselves in order to make people's lives better.

Volunteers have provided the creation and foundation for so many non-profit organizations and groups truly becoming the beating heart of the community through their tireless and selfless efforts.

Today, we take time to honor and learn about two of our many local volunteers.

Joseph Foy is the president and founder of HarmoNNY Performing Arts Center, which helps foster musical and creative talents in northern New York, and Sylvia Buduson has been a volunteer with hospice for over 37 years.

She also donates her time to several other organizations.

Please join me as we celebrate our local volunteers.

I am with Joe Foy today from the HarmoNNY Performing Arts Community Group.

Joe, thank you so much for joining us today.

We really appreciate it, welcome.

- Thank you for having me.

- So you are the director of the HarmoNNY Creative Performing Arts Group.

Tell us about your background.

What made you wanna get started in all of this?

- Yeah, so I mean, I started playing music when I was about 14, which is later than some.

I started playing the bass guitar and a little bit, actually the guitar first, and then switched to bass because my father is a bass player, and I joined band.

I eventually joined Chorus and things like that, and I got really inspired by music in general, have been in a couple bands.

The story behind Harmonies, I went to a place in Homer, New York where there was a performing arts center.

It was an old church that they had made into a space where it was maybe sat about 400 people, and they could put on live performances.

We saw an acoustic show there.

It was really cool, and I thought to myself, why isn't there a space in Watertown that's solely dedicated to performing arts?

There's a lot of organizations in Watertown that are doing it.

There's musicians, there's theater, there's all this stuff, but it would be nice to have a space that was solely dedicated to that.

So we decided to form HarmoNNY, but the issue was it was during the pandemic.

So we ended up going other routes as well to help enhance the performing arts in our community.

One of the big things that we decided to do was an instrument lending library to take in donations and then lend them out, which has been really great, and it's really cool to see kids and adults alike being able to get instruments and not have to pay outrageous costs for them to just try out an instrument and see if it works for them.

- That's right.

You're addressing the need, the financial need, that a lot of people are struggling in this economy these days and it's really, really tough to keep the creative arts in their lives.

So you really found a way to help support the community by having this lending library.

So along with instruments in the lending library, are there other things that they can get out of there, like dance shoes or?

- Well, that's a good question.

Most of it is centered around music currently, though we have equipment.

So we call it an instrument and equipment lending library.

So if there's any performing arts related equipment, we'll put it in there.

We have sound systems and microphones and things like that that were just slowly starting to get into it so.

- Outstanding, very good.

Now you were talking about how you were a kid at 14 and playing music and all of that.

Was there a moment in your life that you just decided, I wanna give back?

- Yeah, I mean, I had been in a Christian band.

That was one of the first things that I started in, and I wasn't necessarily, I was in it because I wanted to play music, but the nice thing about the band is that it was raising a lot of funds for the community at the time.

So that was my first experience as a volunteer, and then I've always been influenced also by my parents, my mom, because of her organization.

My father, because he was an entrepreneur who also believed, he didn't just believe in building up a business, but he believed in helping out the community while you do it, and so that was a big inspiration, I think, for me in the back of my head to always think about what's the community missing?

And that's the way that my father was.

It's not about just starting something, because you think it's a great idea, but is your community actually missing something?

And how can you help fill that void in the community?

- And you certainly did find the void to fill.

You did purchase the Strand Theater, which is over in down on the Square in Watertown, and that's obviously, you did it, as you said, in the middle of Covid.

So you saw the greatest need that our community was having.

We were all desperately clinging to arts and performances there, and so the Strand came into play.

Now, what are some of the challenges that you're facing with HarmoNNY and getting the Strand going?

- Yeah, so I mean, I've never dealt in this area and we're actually, I should say, Neighbors of Watertown is the one that owns the space and will, and we'll be leasing from them, and then Jefferson Community College will be next door to us, and a big reason why there's funding is because of Jefferson Community College.

So the nice thing for us is that we're coming into a space without having to raise a lot of funds to renovate the space, but we do still have to raise those funds in order to have the sound equipment and the lighting equipment, and we need to have there's a business plan that needs to be in place, and I was a business owner for a little while.

So I understand the idea of what a business plan needs to work look like and stuff like that, but there is just a lot more that goes into it than you'd ever think, 'cause it's almost like you have to know about the restaurant business.

You have to know about the performing business.

You have to know insurance information, things like that.

- Absolutely, a lot of moving parts.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, So those challenges, though, has this enriched your life at all?

Have you found it enjoyable?

How has it made your life better?

- It has enriched it, though, because we haven't gotten off the ground yet.

I haven't seen what it's really gonna look like, but I'm really excited about the opportunities that a space can provide, and it might be a small space, but I'm excited to be there to see new musicians come in and use the space to bring new things to the area, like comedy that hasn't been in the area for a while.

And just to see what that's gonna look like.

The really cool thing about the space is that when we went live with it, the community's reaction to it was really exciting, and there were a lot of people who reached out that were, you know, they're ready to volunteer to help us out, 'cause we're a nonprofit.

So we're gonna need that kind of assistance in order to sustain us in the future.

- So talk about the volunteers that work for you or help you out here in HarmoNNY.

What kind of volunteer work can you offer?

- Yeah, I mean, first and foremost, the board is our volunteers, right?

So everybody who's on our board, not only is there serving as a voting member, but they're also showing up to events.

They're having event ideas for fundraising and they're organizing things and just keeping us all on track, and then outside of that, there are some volunteers that are helping us.

Like right now, we have a calendar on our website that we manage, and they help put all of the events that are in the area so we can help uplift the community.

So some of it's digital, some of it is in person showing up to the event and actually helping us set it up, some of it's organizing the event from the start, getting the people involved, getting them there, and some of it is honestly being just a performer.

Not that we're paying most performers that we can, but some of them who are really associated with HarmoNNY, they'll volunteer their time to give their creativity back to the organization - That is fantastic.

So if, say people are following your Facebook page online or wanna donate to this, say they're cleaning out their closet, and they come across the trumpet or those sorts of things, are you accepting donations for the lending library for those kinds of things?

- Yes, so we're always accepting them, and it doesn't matter what time of the year it is, because honestly, we're always looking for band instruments especially.

It's trumpets, it's trombones, it's saxophones and clarinets and flutes.

Those tend to go off of our shelves the quickest, and those are the ones that sit in the attic.

So you don't wanna see an instrument like that sit in the attic too long, because that means it needs more repairs.

So as soon as you know, you know what?

Nobody's probably gonna use this instrument.

We'd be happy to take it.

We send it off to Potsdam to get repaired or see if there's any repairs that need to be done, and then we lend it out to the community.

- Fantastic, so you're making sure that everything is recycled and repurposed and given a new life.

That's fantastic.

So when you are looking at the long term future of HarmoNNY, what do you envision to be the best possible outcome?

What can, what are you hoping for the most for the community for this?

- So, I mean, because we're twofold, with the Lending Library, I would love to have always enough instruments to be able to meet what the demand is and probably expand our space so that it's as much as you would imagine in the old days, walking into a big music store and being able to pick out instruments, but in terms of having a performing art space, we're starting off fairly small with something that can seat about a hundred people, and I would like to be able to build that up so that we're selling out that space quite often, which will gear us up as a community to maybe think about having a performing arts space that is 400, 500 people.

That is solely, again, that's like a theater space itself.

That's kind of the future that I envision, but I love the idea of starting with something small, because it's difficult these days to get people to want to go out.

There's so many forms of entertainment that exists now.

So we just hope to be able to expand that to show people that going out can be enjoyable.

It can be a really memorable experience.

It can change lives, honestly, in terms of the people who are going out to them, but the people who are doing the performances and putting on things, especially when I was younger, it was just very influential to watch other people do it to then do it myself.

I mean, I view music so much different than I did back then.

The magic hasn't gone out completely, but there's so much more magic when you're 14 to 20.

- Of course, and now you're hoping to enrich that and bring that into the community and the kids in this community, and that's absolutely wonderful.

Just to wrap everything up for us, what are the words that you would use to inspire people to volunteer here in the north country?

- I would say think about first what you want to see in your community and then step back and say, now how do we get there?

And then step back a little bit more and say, what's the first thing that I can do to help us get there?

Because it's always the small steps that get us to the point.

It's the vision that helps you keep continuing on.

So start with the vision, but then focus on the small steps of can I show up to something?

Can I just be there?

Can I meet somebody new and start volunteering that way?

- Fantastic, that's right.

Building community bonds, friendships, and getting everything back into place as it's been a struggle since the end of Covid.

So it's so wonderful to see what your work has been in the community, and we're super, super excited to see that this come to success and completion, and we're all here rooting for you.

So where can we find your information about that?

- Yeah, so everything is on our website, HarmoNNY with two Ns, Harmonny.org, but also you can follow us on Facebook or on Instagram.

We post everything there.

Just we'll keep track of what we're doing in our stories and our posts.

- Fantastic, well,ú thank you, Joe Foy.

We very much appreciate it, and we wish you all the continued success.

- Yes, thank you so much.

(cheery band music) - We're here with Sylvia Buduson from Watertown, New York, who has been a long time volunteer here in the area.

Welcome so much.

Thank you for being with us today.

- Thank you for having me.

- Good to have you.

So let's just go right to it.

You have been volunteering for a very long time.

So how did you get started in volunteering?

- Well, seeing I've been with hospice for 37 years.

I'll start there.

My son was going into the Air Force, and I knew that I would be alone, and it was gonna be difficult.

So I was going to go to like Mercy Hospital and maybe see if I could do something to interact with the patients.

I was still working then, of course, and as the time drew near, the man I worked with went on this new service called Hospice, and I was absolutely fascinated by it, because I had lost my dad when I was only 11, and I had lost my little brother who was only 13, and there was like really no closure, and so that really fascinated me.

So I called Hospice, and they had like a new volunteer class starting up.

So I got into the volunteer class, and believe it or not, 37 years ago, we went for a full year, like school year.

We started in September and ended up in June.

- Wow.

- We went two nights a week, and it was either three or four hours at night, mind you, after we got outta work, and it was most interesting.

It was most interesting, and so here I am today.

So it was great.

- Marvelous, the 37 years with the same organization.

You must have so many stories.

That's wonderful, - Yeah.

- and I'm seeing here that it isn't just Hospice that you've been a part of.

You've donated your time to the local senior center, to IHC Sacred Hearts, to Tree Watertown, and the Flamingo Project.

Do you ever feel like you do too much?

- No, other people do.

Other people say to me, maybe you should slow down, but I don't feel that way.

I feel that I do what I can and that keeps me going, you know what I mean?

That's what keeps me alive.

I lost my son 26 years ago, and that was a big, big void in my life, and I just figured that just keep going and just keep doing for other people, and because I was one of 10 children.

My mother always taught us how to do for others, which was great, yeah.

- To give, absolutely, and again, because Hospice is such a big part of your life.

What kinds of volunteering activities do you do for Hospice?

- Well, before we built a new residence, I used to go into the homes and take care of patients, and that consisted of like, I would sit with them maybe for two or three hours where the caregiver went places or I have gone like to get groceries for them or taken them to the hairdressers or doing different things like that, run errands for them and so on and so forth, but once our residence was built, then I pretty much work out of the residence.

I still go on Monday and Friday every week, and so I still work out of the residence, and I love that.

We just built four new rooms on.

So we've got 12 rooms now, and they're full.

it's busy, busy.

- Absolutely, now in other than helping sit with the residents and giving a break to the caregivers and that sort of a thing, if a new volunteer came into Hospice, what kind of ways can they help?

- Well, there's several things volunteers can do.

Some of 'em like to work in the office.

They all have to go through a volunteer program, which is great, and some of them work in the office, and they prefer maybe not to be with the patient, and so they are very valuable in that area, and I mean, I couldn't not be with the patients.

You know me.

I like my involvement with the patients.

So actually when I go in there, the first thing I do is stock the patient's rooms with different things that they need, and then I go into the kitchen, and if there's any dishes to do up, I help the cook with the dishes, and there's a few cupboards in there that I stock if they need stocking, and then I go into what we call the great room, which is a fireplace room and make sure that's kind of straightened up, and then I go into the room, which I'm very proud of, because it's named in honor of my son, and it's called the, we have to call it the meditation or the private room.

We're not allowed to call it the chapel, which it really is, and it's a beautiful room, and I ever am so honored to have that named after Dan.

- Oh, that is so wonderful.

- So then I usually start opening cartons and stocking the shops, and now we don't have just one store room, but we have two.

So there's pretty much to do all the time I'm there, and if they come in and say like, we need for you to sit with the patient, or would you mind sitting with the patient for so long or whatever?

Not at all.

So whatever they want me, sometimes they need me to run the store for 'em or to do different things and hey, that's good.

- Now death is still very much a taboo subject in our society, - Oh, yeah.

- and it's so difficult for families to talk about it.

Having had it touched your life so many times, what does it mean to you personally to have been a part of helping people transition into this very natural part of life?

- I think that the patient is more accepting to what's going on with them than we are.

We're so worried about their feelings and how they're going to react to different things, and they are so much better than we are about it.

They're just wonderful.

I had this little lady that was 99 years old, and she said to me, this is the cutest thing.

She said, I probably shouldn't say this to you, but she said, "There's not a whole lot of entertainment "up here, is there?"

And she was just so sharp, - Honest.

- and then one day, she asked me how much influence I had up there, and I said, about this much, and I said, "What do you need?"

And we had purposely put her down by the back door, because she had a big family, and we figured that she would have more privacy down there than being like in the middle or on the first door, and she said, "I wanna be moved up where the action is."

So it was really cute.

So we moved her.

I said, "I can't move you manually, "but I can take all your stuff."

And they moved her up, and she was happy as could be.

- Oh, how wonderful.

- Stuff like that.

- That must be so comforting to be with individuals that even as they reach the end of their lives, they're still joyful, that they're still happy.

How wonderful that you have that.

- She was, in fact, the day, of course, I didn't know she was dying that day, but she couldn't hardly speak, and so she moved over on the bed and wanted me to get in bed with her.

So I did, and she whispered to me, and she was just delightful.

She was just a delightful and sharp, I mean, for 99 years old.

- Absolutely, we should all be so lucky.

- You're right.

- How marvelous for that.

Now obviously giving is a huge part of who you are and what fuels your life.

Now, when we look at the other things that you've done, like Sacred Heart and Tree Watertown and that sort of a thing, what inspires you to do that?

What memory do you hold onto?

What kind of mantra or motto do you have that inspires you to give so much?

- Well, I just feel that I've always been blessed in my life, and I'm 82 years old, and I'm, thank God, very healthy, and I take vitamins, and that's it, and I mean, I just feel so blessed that I feel that.

Like I said from the beginning, it does much more for me than, you know, people will say, God, you're out of here all the time.

Don't you ever stay home or, but I need to be out.

When you're by yourself, you need to be out and around and doing things.

I mean, I do anyway.

So that fulfills my life what I can, if I can help somebody out that, you know.

- [Cynthia] Yes, you create your community that way.

- Yes, absolutely.

- To reach out and support everyone.

- And I've met so many wonderful, wonderful people over the years.

I mean, you know.

- That's wonderful, very good.

- The only disadvantage is that is right at my age now, I probably go to the funeral home a couple times a week.

- Well, I'm sure they're very grateful to have you there, to know that somebody so dedicated and caring is there for them that way.

- Oh, they.

- That's wonderful.

Now, say somebody is struggling.

They're trying to find that community.

They're trying to find a way to connect back with the people.

What would you say to inspire them to start volunteering?

- I would say just go for it, because when you get involved and face it, then you're gonna be more comfortable, like anything else, when you're apprehensive about getting into it, it's a new thing, and I think if you just go ahead and do it, then the more you do it, the more comfortable you are with it, like anything that's new to you, and we've got wonderful, wonderful volunteers at Hospice, and we've got a girl that's a volunteer coordinator, Nancy, and I'll tell you, she makes every one of us feel like we're the most important person in the world.

I mean, she's just got that way about her.

You can go to her for anything.

If there's any problem, any questions about anything, and she takes care of it.

- That is absolutely wonderful.

- Yeah, and it great, and the whole staff is.

I mean, I work with, well, I'm in the residence.

So there's a lot of nurses and things I work with, and they're ever so helpful.

I mean, the cooks in the kitchen, everybody, you know?

- Everybody gives, everybody supports.

- Yes, they work as a team.

- That's wonderful.

- and they're so proud of Hospice.

They're so proud of Hospice.

- Well, it is such a need that we have here in the community.

So it's excellent that we do have such a wonderful group of people taking care of them.

So where can they find more information about volunteering for Hospice?

- Their number is like 788-7323.

That's our main office that they could call or go out to the Hospice office.

It's located at 1398 Gotham Street, and it's just past the All Souls Church there on the right hand side, but I mean, they're always willing to have people come out to volunteer.

We have people that bring pets in to see our patients, and we have entertainment for them, and the ones that can naturally enjoy it.

Sometimes, they're so close to the end that naturally they can't enjoy something like that, but we have the clockers come out.

We have singing groups come out.

- So much just to enrich the last parts of their life, absolutely.

- And one of the nurses initiated just not too long ago is every Tuesday morning, they have a, like a coffee clash from 10 to 11, I believe, and anybody and everybody that has people there can attend and bring their patient if the patient is able to, and if they're not, sometimes the family comes, and that's a great, I mean, you know, they talk to each other about what's going on.

They make each other cupcakes for their birthdays and do things.

- Wonderful.

- I mean, it's real.

- They create community.

- They do.

- That's the point.

- It's really beautiful, the interaction, yeah.

- That is wonderful.

That is so wonderful.

We're so glad to hear that and so proud that we have that in our community, and thank you for your contribution to that, Sylvia.

- You're welcome.

You're welcome.

- So again, thank you so much for joining us, and we wish you very many more years of wonderful support for our community.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you, and thanks for having me.

That was very nice.

(cheery band music) - It is a reminder that bears repeating.

No one achieves anything alone.

The world needs help, and even the smallest amount of help can change the course of a life.

We hope that you're inspired to go out into our world and become the helper that we all look for.

Thanks for watching.