Serving those who served: Harpur Fellows project aids Suffolk County veterans

In the Harpur Edge office, Cody Cole was chatting with director Erin Cody about the best way to negotiate a job offer when Michael Scorcia walked in.

The two economics majors didn't know each other, but as fate would have it, their Long Island hometowns are only a half-hour apart. Scorcia, who was applying to become a Harpur Fellow, started talking with the Harpur Edge director about his plan to help veterans in Northport.

"I was just sitting there eavesdropping, and I said, 'Wow, that sounds really cool. Is there any way I can get involved?'" Cole recounted. "I'd love to help the vets this summer."

"You could if you wanted to," Scorcia replied.

Both became Harpur Fellows and pooled their two $4,000 grants, allowing them to make a real difference for patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Northport Healthcare System. During the summer before their senior year, they spent their time bringing donations and organizing events for those who served - all while juggling demanding internships in the financial sector.

Scorcia is from Northport and learned about the VA's funding needs from a personal connection. Becoming a Harpur Fellow provided him the opportunity to help people right in his own backyard, he said.

A Vietnam veteran later admitted to Scorcia that life in the facility could be lonely; serious medical conditions can make it difficult to socialize, particularly in the long-term care unit.

"The more I talked to the VA, the more I realized that these guys need recreation," Scorcia said.

The best feeling

Together, the Binghamton University students provided veterans with rechargeable shaving razors and other needed supplies, helped purchase exercise equipment for the outpatient unit, and donated DVD players so that veterans in long-term care could watch their favorite shows. They also donated LEGOs, which are used in recreational therapy to fine-tune motor skills, recover from brain injury, destress and socialize.

Wellness and socialization were priorities, too: Scorcia and Cole sponsored an ice cream truck and a luau party, helped refurbish a pool table in the outpatient unit and donated speakers for outdoor activities so the veterans could listen to music in the garden. Cole organized a trip to a minor league baseball game.

For the final part of the project, they're planning an event with the Warrior Ranch Foundation, a nonprofit that provides equine therapy for veterans. Any money left over will be donated as gift cards for veterans' personal expenses.

"This has been a big morale booster for a lot of people, just having the social interactions - someone coming to visit, a new experience, music and fun," Scorcia reflected. "It's been the best and most empowering part for Cody and I doing the project, and for the veterans themselves."

Scorcia and Cole bounced ideas off one another and divvied up project tasks, making sure they stayed on track and under budget.

Coordinating the project was complex, involving five physical therapy staff members who oversee more than 100 people, Cole said. Outside organizations were also involved, such as the outing to the Long Island Ducks game; Cole coordinated with the Suffolk County Office of Veterans Affairs' Heroes of the Game initiative to make sure that the attending veterans were honored for their service. The students also conducted oral histories of four Vietnam veterans and a 101-year-old World War II veteran, which they will send to the National Library of Congress.

Along the way, the two became friends, supporting each other as they worked on the next steps for their future in the financial industry. Their differences, it turns out, made them a good pair: Scorcia has enthusiasm and vision, and Cole - who will enter a master's program in accounting after graduation - kept a keen eye on financial limits.

Volunteering has become an important part of life for both. Cole heads the campus club Financial Literacy for the Youth, which teaches students both on campus and in local high schools about budgeting, credit, loans and taxes. Scorcia, who plans to pursue a career in asset management, is hoping to connect the VA with a club in his former high school, encouraging students there to spend time with the veterans.

"Even though this project is coming to a close, I'm trying to see how we can have a continued, long-term benefit," Scorcia said.

"That feeling of just being able to help someone, no matter what the situation is, feels amazing," Cole added. "Like the feeling after the baseball game and bringing donations and just seeing the smiles of the veterans - there was nothing better than that all summer."

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