The neighborhood response would have made for a good sitcom. My favorite snapshot was the neighbor kids making a makeshift sign to sell parking spots on their driveway for $3. Entrepreneurs in the making.

As we approached the first wedding, we were ushered by our friend Jai into the home’s backyard where tarps covered the entire space. Crouched around large metal pots cooking Nepali food, some of our friends prepared the delicious food, scents of curries filling the space. The corner was adorned with the traditional wedding “set.” The father of the bride, other relatives and the priest spend most of the day around the bowls of food, incense and readings of Hindu prayers.

The bride and groom sat under the blessing of the priest, bride adorned with the beaded necklace that bears a similar symbolism to the wedding ring in western culture. As the grand finale of this part of the day long ceremony, the bride and groom walk around the display of food and insincere with a white cloth linking them together. As one Nepali young man said, “Now according to our culture, they are officially married.”

This afternoon, I was able to join another part of the other Bhutanese Nepali friend’s wedding. Our friend Loc’s third daughter was getting married, and the proud father was excited to invite his many friends. As I ate the familiar Nepali festival spread, I was joined by many young Nepali adults as well as a family from Togo and another from Mexico. Accustomed to being the only non-Nepali at such functions, I smiled at our Loc’s propensity to make many friends. He has the heart of a Hopeprint family member indeed. I love watching who weddings bring together.

Yesterday, I picked up one of our little Girl Scouts to go to the anticipated award ceremony. She was dressed in her princess dress with a glowing white smile on her chocolate brown face. We talked about her day at school and the “fun day” she had, her friends and the like. We bonded on being the oldest in our families but being “little” so people think we’re younger than we are. But then, in childlike simplicity, she shared that she hadn’t always been the oldest. She’d had a sister before. She died in Africa. “I still remember it. I remember waking up and my parents were crying and my dad told me what happened.”

These days begin to have this effect on my soul, stirring me in those spaces that I prefer not to tread. They feel like dangerous spaces. My friends and I often talk about living an “available and vulnerable life.” Somehow in concept that seems so much easier than it plays out in reality.

Amidst this soul stirring, I had to the chance to sit at our dining room table with one of my most treasured sisters in this makeshift family we have created in Hopeprint. Her own story is rift with tragedy and loss. Her first language is not English, and those familiar with language learning know that heart-to-heart conversations are the most difficult language barrier. Yet, in a particularly broken moment, she began to speak in the most perfect English I have ever heard come out of her mouth.

She reminded me that to truly love others, we must tend the gardens of our own souls. It must be tilled by the wrestling with the pain of this world. It must be cultivated by childlike hope. It must be planted with the seed of vision of renewal, restoration and love. So these days of a stirring soul are not dangerous spaces; they are actually a gift. May we receive it with grace.

As the blue skies start finding their ways through the clouds and the sun starts warming the air, the face of Lilac Street begins to change. Stuffy apartments weary of too much human presence over the cold, hibernating months breathe fresh air along with their inhabitants. Little Dada rides his scooter down every day when I get home and asks me, “Miss Nicole, is the center open? Can I go with you?” The Nepali ladies sit on the concrete front steps of their home just smiling and enjoying the coming days of outdoor living. Kevin down the street is back out chatting with the neighbors, catching up on the gossip that happened when it was too cold to pass stories along on street corners.

I am reminded that Hopeprint in the sunshine looks a whole lot different than in the snow. As it dips in and out of these reminders of warmth and summer, I find myself diving into the important questions of how we are going to wisely engage in these unique months to take steps towards our community continuing to grow and thrive.

While we were hibernating and keeping the crank turning, our team named some areas of priority that we will be investing in more deeply over the next extended season of Hopeprint:

• Giving and Receiving Hospitality
• Leadership Development
• Youth Mentorship
• Networking to existing community resources

In the weeks to come, we will be sharing more about how these things will be playing out over the sunshine months and next year. We’d also love to welcome you to our Volunteer Breakfast and Training this Saturday from 10-11:30am where we will share some more about these plans and Hopeprint’s role in our community. If you would like more information on the training or any of what Hopeprint is up to and how you can participate with us, please e-mail us at ourhopeprint@gmail.com!

I love our community dinners. It’s the heart of Hopeprint – a space of hospitality with no agenda except to be friends and enjoy life together. These dinners were the start of our time in the neighborhood, and were often hosted at our dining room table 2-3 times in a given week in our first few months. As programs were born in response to our new friends’ requests, we started to lose this agenda-less space, so we purposed this winter to revive it… and it’s beautiful!

A young Karen Burmese community leader came alone last night and found himself engaging in all different conversations with members of our Hopeprint family. As we sipped some Somali tea, we talked all about his efforts within his community to bring about unity and form some stronger leadership. Listening to the questions he’s been asking and his diagnosis of community needs and assets, it was clear this young man is a born community organizer. As he asked me who I am, who Hopeprint is and such, he remarked, “You are exactly the person I have been searching for!” We’re going to grab some more tea soon to talk more about how we can partner together to help him take the next steps with his community.

After the meal, the some members of the Oromo (Ethiopian) community did an impromptu dance to share their culture with those gathered. Neighborhood children that had stumbled upon the dinner played and laughed together, continuing to be a living picture of breaking down cultural barriers. I am reminded once again of the power of just being together.

This inside look has been written by the coordinator and core teacher of our Pre-GED program, Carissa Matthews. Enjoy a snapshot of her volunteer perspective and another side of Hopeprint.

On weeknights at the Assisi Center on N. Salina Street, the Cooperative Federal bank shuts down and tellers wrap up their work at 6PM. At the same time, a group of Hopeprint students and teachers gather to learn all the subjects on the GED exam – writing and English, math, and science. The goal? To help these refugees achieve a level of English and understanding of these subjects where they can be successful taking a full-fledged GED prep course in the community. We call it our “pre-GED” class – capturing students who are working to get to college
or career readiness while typically also working full.

I have had the distinct privilege of teaching many of these students writing, civics and American History
for more than a year. I’m also excited to meet many of the new students who have just been coming
for the past couple of weeks (two of whom, much to my confusion, actually have the same name – and
they kindly smile each time I surely mispronounce it!) These people I spend time with every week are
incredible and inspiring – it’s actually hilarious to me that I’m the one teaching them! A few weeks ago, we
went around the table and asked each student how many languages they speak. The answers ranged from
three to seven. Seven!! I barely can handle one! In their past lives, they have had careers in the medical
field, construction – they each have expertise I can barely begin to grasp, and every time we meet, I learn
more from them then I feel they’ll ever learn from me.

It is an incredible blessing to have knowledge that is easy to take for granted. Just by being born in the
United States, I’ve been given the gift of a language that is utilized around the world. An even greater
advantage is that I actually have something that I can use to help my neighbors and community members
in the Northside as they continue to adjust to life in a new place far from their home countries.

In a combination of the efforts of our teacher team and hard work and dedication from our students,
we’ve already witnessed some great achievements. Last summer, Juan passed his GED exam. Aimee and
Mai have gotten into GED prep courses in the community, while also still attending our Hopeprint class.
Other students who have been looking for a challenge to get them to the next level of English continually
thank us for pushing and encouraging them.

And, of course, cross-cultural laughter is always a success in my book, too.

I have to take a minute to brag about Aimee, too. Aimee attended almost every single class I taught over
the summer and fall about American History and civics. Last week, she took a practice citizenship exam
with 100 questions. She knew who John Boehner, John Roberts, Charles Schumer and Andrew Cuomo were! I barely know who these people are, and I’m getting a masters in public administration.

Our work would not be possible without the many supporters of Hopeprint. With your support, we’ve
been able to provide students with Pre-GED prep books that have been essential. Thank you for
supporting our class at the Assisi Center! We’re learning English and moving forward, one lesson at a
time.

Vote for Syracuse to bring this vision to life by clicking here!

After sharing several of the stories of our Hopeprint family members, each of the countries represented came onto the stage with their flag to be joined by their people present at the evening. Twelve nations in total, adorned in their cultural attire swarmed around me as I read through the list to the point where I could not see around them. Snaking through the growing crowd to continue listing them, my throat caught threatening to lose it. It was a moving picture to any eye, but to mine it was literally a dream coming to life.

The Gala welcomed guests into an array of cultural experiences, including a number of rooms which were hosted by some of the ethnic communities in our Northside. As I made my way upstairs, I found the Somali Wazigua in a large circle dancing their cultural dance with a large crowd of others watching with interactive attention. A friend who has traveled to Africa multiple times leaned over and remarked, “It’s just like being there!” Another guest shared her experience of taking the leap to try unfamiliar foods including goat stomach. Thanks to her boldness, she found herself ushered into another space by one of the community members sharing the beautiful handcrafted goods of their culture and building bridges.

The African Marketplace held not only raffle items but handcrafted items by some of the Congolese community. The soundtrack of African drums and dancing, surrounded by a space uniquely designed by one of our SU artists provided another taste of other worlds. Across the hall, the room representing the Bhutanese/Nepali and Burmese tribes had a much gentler feel, with young girls singing quietly as they danced gracefully about, Nepali women displaying and selling their own handcrafted goods as well.

Out by the fireplace, an Iraqi family hosted guests with chai, Iraqi coffee, delicious baklava and more. Today, a few days later, I bumped into a guest beaming about her experience and sharing the interactions she shared with this precious family.

As the evening closed with more dancing, music and all, it was a sure success on so many levels. This was marked above all by the sense of pure joy that overflowed from guests and hosts alike. It clearly exuded a sense of home to the hosts and a contagious sense of possibility to the guests. Mission accomplished.

Thank you to the enormous amounts of people that made the evening possible! A special thanks to…

Brian Howe, Event Producer

Liz Ferree, Sean & Heidi Haley, Brad Kimble, Derek Cole, Stephanie Fox, Emma Voigt, Agnes Aombe, Sarah Evans, Lisi Plaza, Carissa Matthews, Brittney Pfohl, Liz Eley, Todd & Julie Stady and many other Hopeprint team members

Samantha, Phim, Libby, Roseda, Karina, Leah, Tiffany, Devon and the other Syracuse University students who volunteered in various ways

Julia Nosovitch for going out on Hopeprint’s behalf to an enormous amount of businesses on Hopeprint’s behalf to bring about the raffle and silent auction

Our Fellow Hosts -The Somali Wazigua Community, Raj, Munu and all the Nepali cooking helpers, Etce and the African Drummers & Dancers, The Karen Community dancers, Bhim and the Syracuse Nepali Church, Gabrielle & Crafting Syracuse Together, Ahmed and Amina’s family and all the other communities that gathered to host our guests

Our Girl Scout leaders for making it possible for the girls to come

Eastern Hills, including Kyle Dolbear, Dennis Murphy, Mark Noble Neal Carr, Courtney Combs and Doug & Laurel Bullock for the building, time, energy and all invested

Our Sponsors – Haun Welding, Fed Ex, Adecco and Driver’s Village

… and all the other volunteers, hosts, guests, donors and businesses that made the evening  success!

Didn’t make it? You won’t want to miss it next year.

To donate online to Hopeprint to keep the story alive, click here.

This Saturday, February 9, 2013

6:00 – 9:00pm

Taste and experience the tapestry of cultures that make up Syracuse’s Northside through food, music, dance and community members inviting you into an unforgettable evening.

Tickets available at hopeprint.eventbrite.com

Event is semi-formal attire, but will be appropriate for mature children and students

Questions? Contact us at ourhopeprint@gmail.com