Raise of Hope - Join the Vision
Raise of Hope - Join the Vision
Two Women with the Same Vision Team Up to Help Others in Need
Ahhh, life! It is always so interesting and filled with surprises you never see coming. Think back to how many times in your own life things may have changed, often for the better, because of a gentle nudge, an intuition, a sudden thought out of the blue that sent you off into an unexpected direction. Some people of faith might call that a 'God Tap’.
Rebecca Ellis and Nancy Hurst from Cattaraugus were both together on the upper floor of the building at 12 Washington Street that recently housed Pascarella’s Restaurant when they experienced such a ‘God Tap’. Let me tell you what they were doing there so you’ll understand the nudge - or ‘Tap’ - better.
Rebecca was having coffee in Ray’s restaurant one day when he mentioned selling it. She went home that evening and began thinking of the possibilities for that building. A flood of ideas came. She shared them with her husband, prayed over them with her pastor and decided that she needed to look into buying the building. One Sunday, she and fellow Sunday School teacher Nancy Hurst were alone in the room (very unusual) and Rebecca shared her thoughts about the building. Nancy’s response: “I hope it’s not the building I’m looking at.”
It was, and it turns out they shared the same vision for the building. So they did the logical thing and joined forces. Fast forward to the two of them in the upstairs room, looking out of the windows. Suddenly a beautiful ray of light came through the glass and they both somehow knew that the name of their effort had to include a reference to the hope that such a sunbeam brings. They went to their bibles, found an appropriate verse - Romans 15:13 TPT - and came up with the name: Raise of Hope.
And so it begins. The building was purchased, the roof replaced, and clean-out is now in process. When completed, it will be the home of a nonprofit organization offering much needed, more easily accessible services and resources to the people in the Village of Cattaraugus and surrounding communities. Artists and entrepreneurs will find help or perhaps a home there; schools and churches and social services will have access to rooms for programs, projects or gathering; the elderly will be invited to gather to chat in a private room or in the restaurant/community kitchen they will be including in the building plans. In essence, they want this to function as a community center. Plans are for two offices for counselors to meet with kids or folks in need, either privately or in groups. Remember those upstairs windows? Raise of Hope will provide a 3-bedroom apartment in that space for transitional individuals as short-term housing for adults in need.
This building in an historic part of town has well-served the people of Cattaraugus for many years. Its age requires major renovations which are needed in order to comply with 2023 health and safety codes. Everything needs to be updated including electrical, plumbing, accessibility, floors, bathrooms and kitchen.
Here’s how you can help: You can attend and also give donations for a basket raffle at the Ribapalooza Cookoff on September 2nd at Cattaraugus Firemen’s Club (34 Memorial Drive) as part of Cattaraugus Labor Day Celebration. Point-person Mark Reid can be reached at 716-229-1731. Or call 716-560-8772 and ask what they need, where to bring basket raffle donations, volunteer to help, offer much needed construction work, equipment, fixtures, or plain old money. Every little bit helps. As they tell us on their Facebook page, “Our hearts are full, and our pockets have holes. Finishing this project will require community assistance. Catch the Vision! Unite and help us Raise the Hope in our community.”