The Northern New York Community Foundation and WPBS-DT are partnering on a media project featuring individual stories about philanthropy and its meaningful presence in the North Country.

The two organizations will soon launch the “Northern New York Community Podcast: Stories from the Heart of Our Community.”

The podcast will capture, present and archive audio interviews highlighting personal stories of community service and philanthropy in Northern New York. Community philanthropy has played a vital role in the growth, development and enrichment of villages, towns and cities in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

The podcast will be a platform to share the stories of people who have devoted their lives to giving back to their community.

“There is no better time than now to capture the essence of why people choose to go above and beyond for their communities. We think that it is our responsibility to make sure these stories are never forgotten and can be retold in their own voices to current and future generations,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “We will strive not only to highlight what various individuals and families have done, but why they did it, how it affected the lives of others and their lives as well,” he said.

WPBS-DT and the Community Foundation will offer the podcast on a variety of digital and online platforms to engage listeners of all ages. The first series of podcast episodes will be delivered in the fall.

“WPBS-DT is the community’s storyteller,” said Lynn Brown, President and General Manager of WPBS-DT. “This is an opportunity to share the story of our community’s makers in a platform that is available on demand. The main advantage of a podcast over a video project is the simplicity that it offers to all listeners as they are no longer constrained by time and space. It is an honor and a privilege to collaborate with the Northern New York Community Foundation on the podcast initiative.” The initiative will be done in phases, with the approximately a dozen stories documented in the initial phase.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties.

The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.