11/6 @ Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs
**This article originally appeared in our November 2026 issue**
“I feel [TrueSongs] helps people to understand that there are resources out there if they or someone they know is having a significant challenge.”
Many people are familiar with the ripple effect: one deed ripples out that causes a cascading wave of change. But the initial cause of the cascade isn’t always visible; it is often the tireless efforts of nonprofits working in our area striving to make the world a better place.
Those efforts are often thankless and unrecognized, but on November 6, Caffè Lena is going to highlight some of them with their event, TrueSongs. The event, held at Universal Preservation Hall, is set to feature the nonprofits Camp Abilities Saratoga, Whitman Foundation, Wildwood, SoBro Conservancy and Franklin Community Center Food Pantry.
Through the power of song, TrueSongs is dedicated to honoring the courage and commitment of everyday people. Caffè Lena’s other program, Caffè Lena on the Road, which began in 2018, laid the groundwork for this annual event.
“[That program] involves keeping our headline musicians in town for a couple of days,” Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena, said. “They go out and play everywhere from free meal programs, to senior centers, to the bedsides of people who can no longer get out of their houses.”
From that work, Craig built a network of people who ran local nonprofits across the Capital Region. Harnessing folk music’s ability to bring stories to the stage, she conceived the idea of TrueSongs to help shine a light on those. Around that time, Craig was attending a United Way–sponsored event on Prince Edward Island that fell in line with her vision.
“I brought the idea down here and massaged it a little bit to fit what we do,” Craig said.
When planning the annual TrueSongs event, the Caffè reaches out to nonprofits in the area to see if they have members who would be willing to work with a songwriter to share the story of their organization with the public. Considering many organizations during this process, the Caffè narrows the selection down to five, covering topics such as children and families, disabilities, the environment, illness and assisting people with limited means.
This year, the SoBro Conservancy will represent the topic of the environment, with their story being presented by Johanna Garrison. Located in Saratoga Springs, the conservancy strives to “conserve vacant urban parcels” by transforming them into biodiverse, pollinator-friendly green spaces. In addition, the nonprofit seeks to educate the public on the importance of these green spaces. SoBro Conservancy will be paired with Joziah Longo of the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. When formulating this year’s TrueSongs, Craig reached out to Longo, as his band already had a song, “Beez,” that fit the narrative.
Growing up, Longo was inspired by his father and grandfather, who always seemed to have a guitar in their hands. In our interview, Longo compared them to ‘walking jukeboxes.’ He went on to cite Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and The Beatles as influences.
While discussing his song “Beez,” Longo recalled the ethereal inspiration behind it. After taking conservation advice from ghosts who came to him in a dream, Longo stopped cutting his lawn one summer. As a result, a once-dwindling bee population in his garden boomed. Swarmed by hundreds of bees and monarch butterflies, Longo began writing the tune, but got stuck on the chorus.
“The ghost of John Lennon came to me and helped me write the chorus,” Longo said.
After looking into the conservancy, Longo was very excited over the work that Garrison at SoBro was doing for the environment.
“We were very happy when we were asked to perform,” Longo said. “That kind of collaboration, for me, is very exciting. It’s really cool that [SoBro Conservancy] is doing that in the middle of a little city.”
Now in its sixth iteration, TrueSongs is an event that is continuing to grow in popularity. It wasn’t long before it outgrew the Caffè’s seating capacity. This year, the venue projects an attendance of 400–500 people. As our interview came to an end, Craig mused about what she would like to see from the program.
“My dream is that TrueSongs is going to become a signature annual Saratoga event that feels like a ‘don’t miss event’ for this community,” Craig said. “It enables people to see a very different side of the community than they normally see… I feel [TrueSongs] helps people to understand that there are resources out there if they or someone they know is having a significant challenge.”
To learn more about TrueSongs, please go to www.caffelena.org.