Sycamore Collaborative

It is with much gratitude for his life and deep sadness that the Sycamore Collaborative joins Community Fathers and the greater Schenectady community in acknowledging the passing of Mr. Walter Simpkins - a mentor, leader, and reference of leadership for works of hope, justice, and peace. “Walter was committed to community leaders, especially leaders of color, as living expressions of all that is good and hopeful in Schenectady," said Amaury Ta?ón-Santos, executive director of the Sycamore Collaborative. "He was always a call, text, or coffee away for counsel, strategy, and encouragement. Walter was a teacher and a master of community engagement. Walter was a reference for community leaders and a champion for Schenectady." The Sycamore Collaborative has named Mr. Simpkins as the 2025 Community Champion. Alongside family and friends, we will support with this award the many ways the Schenectady community will indeed celebrate Walter's bigger-than-life leadership and legacy. We pray that peace reaches all who loved Mr. Simpkins. The video is a production of New Cool.

Meet Heather Hutchison, one of this year’s Schenectady Community Champions panelists! ?? As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of CREATE Community Studios, Heather has been dedicated to supporting community members and lightening their burdens for quite some time. Her work brings together creativity and expression of art with experiences that encourage mental health. Heather and CREATE aim to promote community connections and, like Sycamore Collaborative, foster moments of joy and peace for community members as they manage life’s responsibilities. Join us on Thursday, April 10th, at the Terrace At the Waters Edge from 5 to 7 pm to hear from Heather Hutchison and her burden lightening work!? To buy tickets, ?? https://lnkd.in/e8F-tN5N #SchenectadyCommunityChampions2025 #SCC2025 #CommunityChampions #SchenectadyCommunityChamps #schenectadyny #schenectadycommunity #518events #CREATECommunityStudios #communityfirst #guestpanel

Join Us for Schenectady Community Champions! ?? Celebrate the incredible leaders who uplift and lighten burdens in our community while supporting Sycamore Collaborative’s mission to provide food and foster connections in Schenectady! We’re looking for event sponsors, honorary committee members, and attendees to join us for an unforgettable evening of good food, great company, and community spirit. ?? Don’t miss this chance to make a difference—be part of the celebration! Join us on Thursday, April 10th from 5-7pm at the Terrace at the Waters Edge in Schenectady! For tickets: https://lnkd.in/e8F-tN5N . . . #SchenectadyCommunityChampions #StrongerTogether #CommunitySupport #CommunitySupportMatters #518events #518eats

80 years ago, on January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, freeing approximately 7,000 survivors and exposing the world to the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. It would take until May 1945 for the last of the Nazi camps to be liberated. The Nazi regime, driven by the ideology of white supremacy, had pursued an imperial expansion plan and the systematic persecution of groups who did not conform to such ideals. An estimated 11 million people were murdered during the Holocaust, including 6 million Jews. Others targeted included Roma people, communists, Polish and Soviet prisoners of war, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with mental and physical disabilities, educators, and artists. This atrocity remains one of the most extreme consequences of white supremacy and its devastating hold on the German social and political imagination. At Sycamore Collaborative, we remember the Holocaust as an act of defiance against white supremacy and all forms of political, social, and cultural doctrines that marginalize, oppress, or disenfranchise. We remember because the United States is not immune to the realities of white supremacy and its lasting impact on Native Americans, people of African descent, immigrants from the southern border, and others seeking a better life across the oceans. We remember because we are committed to celebrating diversity as the cornerstone of a strong community and advancing equity as an essential part of our struggle for justice. ?? U.S. Embassy #WeRemember #HolocaustRememberanceDay #StandAgainstHate #NeverAgain #endantisemitism

Today, the nation pauses to remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Baptist pastor, theologian, and social leader who, alongside many in the mid-20th century, led in the movement and struggle for equal human and civil rights for Black Americans and other disenfranchised peoples. The interfaith coalition that supported this movement compels interfaith organizing today to affirm how we can be co-laborers in movements of dignity and belonging. In his speech "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence", Dr. King said that it is "...the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation's self-defined goals and positions. We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of our nation and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our (siblings)." May this commemoration of civil rights leadership and struggle encourage our discernment for community resilience and solidarity. ?? Photo by Mark Stebnicki

And, so, a new year begins! Many challenges from 2024 will carry over, and we are getting ready for the challenges that 2025 will surely bring. As an organization, we aspire to continue to grow as an organization that is in, with, and alongside the community. That aspiration guides the many possibilities of turning challenges into opportunities for deeper community engagement and broader impact in our service. We are grateful for your solidarity, support, and presence in our food access and community-building efforts with each of our partners in our food pantry, urban farming, summer meals, and community space initiatives. And as we ask that you continue to support our shared work, we also want to wish each and every one of our guests, volunteers, supporters, partners, staff and members of the board of directors a 2025 filled with blessings, joy, and solidarity! Interested in Giving Back? Thank you! ?? https://lnkd.in/eT5vjm44 . . . #newyear2025 #communitysupport #communitysupported #CommunitySupportMatters #schenectady #schenectadyny #schenectadyfood #schenectadycounty #foodpantry #urbanfarming #summermeals #communityhub

Darkness will not overcome light. This is a principle shared by many wisdom and faith traditions. Even in the most difficult moments, the expectation with hope for wellbeing, belonging, and identity has driven whole communities through adversity and into generosity, solidarity, and embracing diversity. On this fifth day of Hanukkah, the Sycamore Collaborative joins Jews and people of goodness throughout Schenectady and the world in hoping and expecting that the light of community and solidarity will guide us to support each other through any and every difficulty anyone might face. May we all realize that each of our lights, together, can and will overcome the darkness of adversity and evil. Hanukkah Sameach! . . . #hannukah #hannukah2024 #communitysupport #schenectady #schenectadyny #schenectadycounty #foodpantry #interfaith

Hope, peace, joy, and love are the themes that preamble the celebration of Christmas for many in Schenectady and the world all over. Christians believe that God itself intervened in the affairs of humanity, becoming a human in the person of Jesus, a Jewish child from Nazareth. That idea of God with us leads many of the faithful to live life encouraged by a certainty that despite the hardships of disenfranchisement, exclusion, and marginalization, God is with and among those who seek and pursue hope, peace, and joy for the sake and in the name of love. To all who celebrate, a Merry Christmas! To every person of good, may we encourage each other in the certainty that in community hope, peace, joy, and love are possible. ?? Brett Sayles . . . #christmas2024 #christmastime #Christmas #xmas #xmas2024 #foodpantry #schenectady #schenectadyny #schenectadycounty

Sycamore Collaborative, previously SiCM, experienced a transformative year. Through it all, we have remained rooted in the community, committed to our core values, and passionate about helping our neighbors! This year: - An average of 145 meals were served to children each day this summer through our Summer Meals Initiatives. ?? - There have been over 22,000 visits to our Food Pantry to stock up on nutritious groceries! ?? - 60+ Volunteers have assisted us monthly at the Food Pantry with tasks such as intake, deliveries, and packing bags! ?? - The Community Compost Program has diverted over 25,000 pounds of food scraps from landfills to create compost. ?? Because of your committed support, our programs are changing lives - people are putting food on the table, learning to grow and connect with nature, and finding a welcoming space where they feel valued and heard. As the New Year approaches, we're excited to continue growing our food, farm, and community initiatives here in Schenectady. ???? Your support makes all the difference! Join us in making a lasting impact by contributing to our End-of-Year Campaign. Together, we can cultivate a brighter future for your community. Ready to Give Back? Thank you! Visit our End Of Year Campaign to Donate: ?? https://lnkd.in/eT5vjm44 . . . #SupportLocal #CommunityImpact #SchenectadyStrong #schenectady #schenectadyny #schenectadyfood #schenectadycounty #foodpantry #urbanfarm #urbanfarming #sunfun #518sunfun #summermeals #freefood #communitysupport #CommunitySupportMatters

Tonight is the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. In our area, the sun will set shortly before 4:30 pm. Some 15 hours of darkness will break tomorrow at dawn. And even when the winter and the colder months will still be ahead of us, the days will slowly and surely get longer. Light will overcome darkness. The Cree believe that the winter solstice is a time of rest and renewal for all of creation. In the heavens, the Pakone Kisik (known by Western Cultures are the Pleiades) is the “hole in the sky” that connects to the origins, the beginning, of all things. Many observe the solstice tonight with community gatherings, feasts, warmth, and hope. May this beginning in winter encourage solidarity that sustains an imagination to face the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. A blessed solstice to all! ?? Martin Mariani . . . #wintersolstice #wintersolstice2024 #interfaith #InterfaithHarmony #interfaithlove #longestnight #communitylove #communityspirit #communitysupport