NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — There’s just something about a good beat that draws you in. The Schulmeisters are counting on it.

“They see us playing, they see our shirts like,' oh, that's a cool shirt. Let me buy it,' and then you talk about the charity,” said Debbie Schulmeister, the vice president for WNY Drummers for Homeless People.

For six years, the Schulmeisters, with the help of hundreds of other musicians, have put on shows for a cause.

“Western New York Drummers for Homeless People is a group of musicians that go out and raise money and we collect goods like diapers, underwear and socks, toiletries for a week," said Will Schulmeister, the president of WNY Drummers for Homeless People. "We collect it for homeless people."

This duo has been playing for most of their lives.

“The community — like the people here [at this bar] — they came out and supported me all the time," said Will. "They bought my CDs, they bought my T-shirts, they came in and just saw us play.”

Now, it’s a matter of paying that support forward.

“This is not a lucrative job,” said Debbie.

“Unless you're at the top," added Will. "[Musicians] know what it's kind of like to have a little, so when they either make it or get to a place where they're doing good, they're more than willing to help.”

That help is needed with a growing issue.

“I'm a Buffalo school teacher, so as a Buffalo school teacher, I see the need for this in the community," Debbie explained. "Over the summer, you see the lines for the lunches for the kids that are off school are getting very long. It's not just inner city. It's suburbs. It's rural. It's all over the place, and it's getting worse.”

They estimate since starting, between shows and collection boxes, they’ve raised $60,000 worth of goods and monetary donations. It's a gift for the community and for them.

“When I go to the homeless shelters and give them what we've accumulated, it would bring you to tears to see the reaction on their face when I give them either a check or truckload full of goods," said Will. "It's just... just amazing.”

They support four local shelters, but would love to see this effort spread.

“I have been contacted by people from Erie, Pa., and Syracuse, New York, Rochester, about doing this there," said Will. "I would like to see this in actually every city in the country if I could.”

Whether it’s playing, singing, or working behind the scenes, there’s no small role in this production. Each new person willing to give is music to their ears.

“We have new fans; they have discovered Western New York Drummers because of the bands that are new to us, and we keep looking for more bands, more volunteers, more fans, so it just keeps growing," said Debbie.

“And they all give, and it's amazing," added Will. "It adds up.”

Now retired, Will says he'd be happy to help other cities launch their own version of WNY Drummers for Homeless People.