By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
In December, Common Grounds launched “A Contest for Hope,” a community initiative designed to grant awards of $250 to non-profits in the Cazenovia area.
Community members were invited to respond to the question “What is your greatest hope?” by submitting a drawing, picture, phrase, poem, or anything else that expresses their hope.
Each winner was given the opportunity to handpick a non-profit to receive a $250 donation.
The winners will have their entries reproduced as greeting cards and will receive boxes of stationary and envelopes from the Cazenovia College Copy Shop to share their hope. The results will also be displayed as posters at Common Grounds.
According to Common Grounds founder Bob Hood, A Contest for Hope was intended to unite people, lift their spirits and inspire them to take positive action in their lives and the community.
“I sense that people are tired and feel disconnected from one another,” Hood said in December. “We are suffering fatigue from the pandemic, from political divisiveness, and from all of the negative rhetoric we are constantly fed through social media. Social distancing has [also] disconnected us from one another . . . When we feel alone and burdened with problems, we can become discouraged and depressed; we can lose sight of the future we want for our own lives and for the lives of our children. Some people begin to see their cup as being half empty, instead of half full.”
Hood added that he viewed the contest as a way to give people the common connection and encouragement they need to take the first step towards bringing their hopes to fruition.
“Focusing on our greatest hope requires stepping back from the people who are spinning stories about all the problems we are facing, and pausing and reflecting on what is important, what matters most, what matters least, and what our hope is for tomorrow,” he said. “If we become focused and intentional about what we hope for, both the pathway and our role in the journey become clear. Hope for me invites taking some initiative to make what I’m hoping for a reality . . . In order to break a habit and form a new habit, a person has to take action. If we are frustrated and dissatisfied with the lack of respect and understanding between people with opposing views, we need to learn and practice how to have a conversation in order to find some common ground.”
On Jan. 26, Common Grounds announced the four contest winners.
Jackie Gamlen selected the Friendship Inn Cazenovia as the recipient of her $250 award. Operated out of the Methodist/Summit Church 21 Lincklaen St., the Friendship Inn offers a free meal to the community every week. Meals are served on Mondays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for pickup only.
Aislin Holdren selected The Haven at Skanda at 4000 Mosley Road in Cazenovia. Skanda is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for rescued farm animals and offering educational and preventative programs to the public.
Village of Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler donated his award to Project Café, a student-directed, non-profit organization that promotes drug free/alcohol free activities, art, music, community service and scholarship in Cazenovia.
An anonymous donor selected St. James Roman Catholic Church at 6 Green St. in Cazenovia.
Common Grounds is a free-use community space adjacent to Dave’s Diner on the corner of Albany and Sullivan Streets in Cazenovia. The facility serves as a meeting place and workspace for a number of diverse groups, as well as a venue for various community events. Common Grounds has also provided support and funding to a number of community organizations, including Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees, Cazenovia Artisans, and CazArts.
A Contest for Hope was presented in conjunction with Common Grounds Live, a new live-streaming resource designed to provide the community with a platform for difficult conversations on controversial topics. The conversations are live-streamed on the “Caz Common Grounds Live” YouTube channel.
Facilitated by Patrick Camilien — assistant director/academic counselor of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at Cazenovia College — the initiative aims to build community and foster respectful dialogue while also creating a platform for people to engage in braver and safer conversations.
Common Grounds Live also functions as a platform for local musicians, entrepreneurs, artists, and anyone else interested in sharing their unique perspective.
For more information, contact Camilien at [email protected].
