Motts Corners: A Community Space for Strength, Growth & Healing

Located in the historic hamlet of Brooktondale, near Ithaca, New York, Motts Corners is a restorative community space founded by Emily Adams and Paulus Dominicus. Through healing therapies, workshops, movement, music, conversation, and meaningful human connection, Motts Corners offers space for people who spend their lives caring for others to rest, reconnect, and renew.

Today, Motts Corners is becoming the home of a larger community effort: the launch of the Cayuga Collective.

You can be a part of bringing this effort to life!

The Cayuga Collective

The Cayuga Collective is an initiative of Pathways to Equity, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building, supporting and sustaining healthy communities. Hosted at Motts Corners, the collective will bring together practitioners, artists, educators, wellness providers, community leaders, and volunteers to care for the caregivers of society by offering accessible opportunities for rest, restoration, connection, and healing. 

The vision is both practical and deeply human:

…………………..To build a sustainable network of care for those who give so much to others.

Each month, selected local caregivers and community contributors will receive:

• Complimentary healing treatments
• Access to workshops and wellness activities
• Time for quiet reflection, creativity, and restoration
• Public acknowledgment of their contribution to community life. Honorees will come from all seven pillars of society — family, religion, education, media, arts & entertainment, business, and government — recognizing that thriving communities depend on many forms of service.

A European Tradition, Reimagined for America While living in Holland and Belgium, Emily and Paulus experienced a tradition known as a “verwendag”— a day of nourishment and appreciation for volunteers and caregivers that included massage, music, healing therapies, and shared meals. In America, appreciation often comes in the form of plaques, dinners, or speeches. Rarely do we offer caregivers what they most deeply need: restoration. The Cayuga Collective seeks to bring that missing tradition here. Through supportive practices such as Shiatsu, acupuncture, Reiki, aromatherapy, movement, meditation, communication skills, nutrition, and trauma-informed healing approaches, Motts Corners will serve as a sanctuary where service-minded people can finally exhale.

Rooted in History. Built for Community. “Mott’s Corners” was the original historical name for Brooktondale — a crossroads where neighbors survived by helping one another, sharing resources, caring for elders and children, and building relationships strong enough to sustain a community. That spirit continues today. The healing space itself was lovingly transformed from the apartment of Emily’s late father, Barry Adams, whose warmth, curiosity, music, books, and hospitality made the home a place of comfort and peace for many years. Motts Corners is dedicated to the memory of Barry and Molly Adams, Emily's parents, who served their community with generosity, humility, and compassion without seeking recognition or reward.

Why This Matters Now

Burnout among caregivers, healthcare workers, educators, nonprofit staff, and volunteers has reached historic levels. At the same time, supportive complementary therapies remain financially out of reach for many people.

The Cayuga Collective exists to address a simple but urgent truth: When caregivers are sustained, entire communities become healthier.

Help us Launch the Cayuga Collective

Motts Corners is currently building partnerships with practitioners, musicians, movement teachers, mental health professionals, hospice workers, and healing arts instructors throughout the Finger Lakes region.

The immediate fundraising goal is to cover six (6) months of operating support to officially launch and stabilize the Cayuga Collective at Motts Corners - estimated to be approximately $8,000. All fundraising is administered through Pathways to Equity - a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, allowing donations to be tax deductible.

Support may include:

• Direct donations
• Community sponsorships
• Grants

Crowdfunding initiatives through Pathways to Equity

Every contribution helps create a place where hard-working and dedicated people can rediscover strength, connection, and hope.

For more information, contact:

Emily Adams — emilyfinnadams@gmail.com 

Roy Allen — Roy@ithacatimes.com

Footnote from Roy Allen - Executive Director of Pathways to Equity:

To paraphrase the great English author, Charles Dickens, and his famous lead sentence in A Tale of Two Cities: 

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."  

Written in 1859, his words continue to resonate in 2026. While many people feel helpless about all of the bad things happening in the world, the truth is that there are many good things happening at the same time - fueled by the caregivers of society - those brave men and women who get up every morning and shine their lights so others might see their way out of sorrow, despair, loss and darkness.

The Cayuga Collective is our 2026 call to action. We hope you step up and help us care for the caregivers so yours, ours and their lives can thrive in "a season of light."

Give what you can. Ask a friend to do the same. Have a garage sale. Have a bake sale. Donate the money to the Cayuga Collective. 100% of the funds collected go to care for those who care for others.

It is an honorable thing to do what you can to lift the lives of others. Please join us today.