A new social media campaign from Journey to Hope Moose Jaw is hoping to share some positivity with the community, from the community, to help navigate those drab winter blues.
The project is called Draw Hope In, and it has the local mental health awareness group asking individuals to submit images of the things that help them feel hopeful, even during the cold winter months and the stresses of the pandemic.
Submissions are being shared on Journey to Hope’s social media pages, to inspire others to keep “drawing in hope” themselves.
“Post-Christmas, people are definitely feeling the heaviness of winter and the isolation of COVID, and we want to create an opportunity to bring light into their day, [and] for them to be creative and share their creativity with an uplifting theme,” said Journey to Hope representative Della Ferguson.
As for what the project is looking for, Ferguson said “the sky’s the limit” and submissions are open to people of all ages interested in taking part.
“We’re trying to encourage people that it could be a drawing, a painting, anything creative. Just take a picture and send it to us, and we’ll share it on our social media,” said Ferguson.
For those sending submissions in, Ferguson asks that they include an explanation of the image as well as details like the medium, title, and your name.
“They’re so inspirational. As much as I love the pictures, I love the meaning attached to the picture too. It tells a story and it’s really uplifting,” said Ferguson.
Draw Hope In launched earlier in January and has already shared a number of submissions already — including artwork, pictures and even images of meaningful tattoos and positive personal spaces.
Journey to Hope will continue taking submissions for Draw Hope In until April, as the project was envisioned to help individuals through the winter.
Each month of the campaign will feature a new theme, with January’s declared to be “New Beginnings.” In addition to spreading positivity, Draw Hope In will also be including all the submissions in a monthly draw for a $25 gift card to a local business.
Journey to Hope also has a few other upcoming projects in the works, which Ferguson teased will be made public soon.
The organization recently did a random survey of residents to learn what suicide and mental health awareness resources are most well-known in the area, to aid in the development of a still-under-construction resource brochure that collects all that information into one place.
There is also a new podcast from a Journey to Hope volunteer in the works, expanding on the group’s ongoing Voices of Hope interview series, which will highlight the many people and resources for mental health available both locally and provincially.
Draw Hope In submissions are being shared on Journey to Hope’s Facebook page and Instagram page, as well as to the Journey 2 Hope Youth Chapter’s Instagram page.
Submissions for Draw Hope In can be sent to Della Ferguson by email at della.ferguson@hopesummit.ca.
