Staten Island’s Church of St. Clare Announces Photography Competition, Small Business Support Challenge

Editor’s note: We’ve previously covered scholarships provided to several students by St. Clare’s Church on Staten Island and Cmtyhelp. The Borough President recently hosted a photography and video contest about showing the beauty of nature on Staten Island.  Small businesses are the heart of New York City, and recent discussions in Albany highlighted this.  

 

Dear Church of St. Clare Community,

We’re excited to announce two fun and meaningful community competitions through the Cmtyhelp App that encourage creativity, community service, and support for our local businesses—all while giving you the chance to win gift card prizes!

📸 Photography Competition

Choose one of two themes:

• Helping Hands in Building Communities – Capture acts of kindness, volunteerism, or community service.
• A Happy Moment in Your Life – Share a meaningful moment of joy, gratitude, or inspiration.

Categories:

• High School Students & Young Adults (Ages 14–30)
• Adults (31+)

🛍️ Support Local Business Challenge

Visit participating local businesses between August 1 and September 5, 2026, and submit a verified Deal Claim through the Cmtyhelp App after each eligible visit. The three participants with the highest number of verified visits will win gift card prizes.

Both competitions begin August 1, 2026, and winners will be announced on Labor Day, September 7, 2026.

The competition guidelines and instructions are below. We encourage everyone to participate, invite family and friends, and help us build stronger communities by supporting one another.

 

 

 

Theme

Support Local. Strengthening Our Community.

 

Local businesses are the heart of our community. Every visit helps strengthen our local economy, supports small businesses, and builds meaningful connections within our neighborhood.

The Support Local Business Challenge encourages members of the Church of St. Clare Community to visit participating local businesses while using the Cmtyhelp App to claim their visits. The participants with the highest number of verified visits during the competition period will have the opportunity to win exciting gift card prizes sponsored by our partnering businesses.

Who Can Participate?

The competition is open to all registered members of the Cmtyhelp App who have joined the Church of St. Clare Community.

Competition Period

• Competition Begins: August 1st, 2026
• Competition Ends: September 5th, 2026
• Winners Announced: September 7th, 2026(Labor Day)

Only verified visits made during the official competition period will be counted.

How to Participate 

1. Download the Cmtyhelp App.
2. Create your free Cmtyhelp account by signing up or sign in if you already have one.
3. Join the Church of St. Clare Community. (optional). You can access the businesses from the home page
4. Visit any participating local business during the competition period.
5. Submit a verified Deal Claim through the Cmtyhelp App for every eligible visit.
6. Each verified Deal Claim counts as one eligible visit toward the competition.

The participants with the highest number of verified visits at the end of the competition will be declared the winners.

How to Claim Your Visit
After making a purchase at a participating business, simply follow these steps:

1. Open the Cmtyhelp App.
2. From the Home page or the Community page, select the participating business you visited.
3. Tap “Tap to Unlock Your Deal.”
4. Take a clear photo of your receipt or bill.
5. Enter the purchase amount.
6. View how much you saved and how much will be donated.
7. Choose the charitable cause you would like to support.
8. Tap “Submit Deal Claim.”
It’s that simple! Once your Deal Claim has been verified, your visit will automatically count toward the competition.

Competition Rules

1. The competition is open only to registered Cmtyhelp members.
2. Only visits to participating businesses during the competition period are eligible.
3. Each verified Deal Claim counts as one eligible visit.
4. Each verified Deal Claim represents one eligible visit. If a participant makes multiple purchases during the same visit, only one visit will be counted. However, if the participant leaves the business and returns later the same day for a separate visit, submitting a new verified Deal Claim with a new receipt, it will be counted as an additional eligible visit.Participants are encouraged to visit as many participating businesses as possible throughout the competition.
5. Receipts must be genuine and correspond to purchases made by the participant.
6. Cmtyhelp reserves the right to verify all submitted Deal Claims.
7. Any false, altered, duplicated, or fraudulent submissions will result in immediate disqualification.
8. Participants must conduct themselves respectfully while visiting participating businesses.
9. The decisions of the competition organizers regarding eligibility, verification, and winners are final.

Winners

At the conclusion of the competition, the three participants with the highest number of verified visits will receive prizes.

First Place – Highest number of verified visits
Second Place – Second highest number of verified visits
Third Place – Third highest number of verified visits

In the event of a tie, the competition organizers will use the published tie-breaking procedure or another fair method to determine the winners.

Prizes

Gift card prizes will be announced prior to the start of the competition. Prize sponsors may include
local businesses and national retailers. Cmtyhelp reserves the right to update these rules, including
prize sponsors and prize values, prior to the start of the competition. Any updates will be
announced through the Cmtyhelp App and Church of St. Clare communication channels.
Why Participate?
By participating in the Support Local Business Challenge, you will:
• Support local businesses in our community.
• Help strengthen our local economy.
• Save money through exclusive Cmtyhelp deals.
• Support charitable causes of your choice with every eligible purchase.
• Connect with fellow community members.
• Have the opportunity to win exciting gift card prizes.
Every visit makes a difference. Together, we can strengthen our community by supporting the businesses that support us.

Support Local. Build Community. Make an Impact.

 

 

 

Competition Theme
Participants may submit one original photograph based on either of the following themes:

Theme 1: “Helping Hands in Building Communities”
Capture a photograph that highlights kindness, volunteerism, community service, or an act that helps build stronger communities.

Examples:
• Helping an elderly neighbor
• Volunteering at a food pantry or church
• Cleaning a park or beach
• Mentoring a younger student
• Supporting a community event
• Acts of teamwork, inclusion, or kindness

OR

Theme 2: “A Happy Moment in Your Life”
Capture a meaningful moment that reflects happiness, joy, gratitude, or inspiration.

Examples:
• Time with family or friends
• A personal achievement
• Playing sports or enjoying a hobby
• A memorable vacation or celebration
• Enjoying nature
• A special moment with a pet
Choose only one theme and submit one original photograph.

Competition Categories

1)High School Students & Young Adults
• Ages 14–30
2)Adults
• Ages 31 and above

How to Participate
Participants must:

1. Take an original photograph based on the competition theme.
2. Upload the photograph to the Church of St. Clare Community within the Cmtyhelp App.
3. Email the same photograph to support@cmtyhelp.com.
4. Name the file using the following format: Idea – Full Name – Age Category
Example:
Neighbors Helping Neighbors – John Smith – High School & Young Adults

Participants are encouraged to include a brief explanation (25–75 words) describing:

• What is happening in the photo.
• How it relates to the theme.
• Why they chose that moment.
Example:
“This photograph captures our youth group helping clean the local park after a community event. It reminds me that small acts of kindness can bring people together and make our neighborhood a better place.”

Competition Rules

1. The photograph must be the participant’s own original work.
2. Only one photograph may be submitted per participant.
3. Basic editing such as brightness, contrast, cropping, and color correction is permitted.
4. AI-generated images or heavily manipulated photographs are not permitted.
5. The photograph must be appropriate for all audiences.
6. No offensive, discriminatory, violent, or inappropriate content will be accepted.
7. Participants should obtain permission before photographing identifiable individuals.
8. If minors appear in a photograph, parental or guardian consent is required.
9. By entering the competition, participants grant Cmtyhelp and Church of St. Clare permission to display the submitted photographs on the Cmtyhelp App, website, social media, and promotional materials while always crediting the photographer.
10. Entries received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

Community Voting

After the submission period closes:

• All eligible entries will remain available in the Church of St. Clare Community on the Cmtyhelp App.
• Community members can vote by clicking the Like button.
• Members are encouraged to leave positive comments explaining why they appreciate the photograph.
• Participants are encouraged to invite family and friends to join the Church of St. Clare Community in the Cmtyhelp App and support the competition through respectful engagement.

Judging

Winners will be determined using a combination of:
• Community engagement (Likes)
• Creativity
• Relevance to the competition theme
• Overall impact
• Originality
• Composition and storytelling

The judges’ decision will be final.

Prizes

Prizes will be announced soon.

Gift card prizes will be announced prior to the start of the competition. Prize sponsors may include local
businesses and national retailers. Cmtyhelp reserves the right to update these rules, including prize sponsors
and prize values, prior to the start of the competition. Any updates will be announced through the CmtyhelpApp and Church of St. Clare communication channels.

Important Dates

• Competition Opens: August 1st, 2026
• Submission Deadline: September 5th, 2026
• Community Voting Period: Starts on August 1st, 2026, and extends to September 6th 2026
• Winners Announced: September 7th, 2026 (Labor Day)

 

Banner Image: Learning from each other. Image Credit – Cmtyhelp