Monthly Archives: March 2015

The Voices Behind the Numbers

In the newest StoryCorps "Finding Our Way" story, Taylor Henson tells his friend Chelsea Lindquist about his family's experience with homelessness. Voices like Taylor's motivate our staff to advocate for policies that will help end homelessness.
In the newest StoryCorps "Finding Our Way" story, Taylor Henson tells his friend Chelsea Lindquist about his family's experience with homelessness. Voices like Taylor's motivate our staff to advocate for policies that will help end homelessness.
32,494. That’s the number of homeless students in Washington. Taylor Henson is the voice. After Taylor’s mom left the military, their family ended up homeless. Listen to Taylor describe the stress and depression that he faced as a homeless student, and the life-changing joy that he found in photography. Then read what you can do to help create opportunities for families to live in safe, affordable homes.

I’m an Advocate — and an Activist: Amanda M. Vail

Amanda M. Vail writes that to her, activism "means forming opinions and being willing to have open, honest, and respectful discussions about them." Image courtesy Amanda M. Vail.
Amanda M. Vail writes that to her, activism "means forming opinions and being willing to have open, honest, and respectful discussions about them." Image courtesy Amanda M. Vail.
"It’s the small, meaningful conversations we have person to person that create societal change." Writer and activist Amanda M. Vail shares how she advocates for causes that matter to her in this inspiring post.

Culture Watch: Inside the Epidemic of Veteran Suicide With “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”

This image captures the intensity of the crisis responders at the Veterans Crisis Hotline as they do everything they can to steer callers away from suicide. Image from <a href="http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/crisis-hotline-veterans-press-1#/" target="_blank">HBO</a>.
This image captures the intensity of the crisis responders at the Veterans Crisis Hotline as they do everything they can to steer callers away from suicide. Image from HBO.
The Oscar-winning documentary "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1" really hit home for guest blogger Perry Firth. She was once a responder at a local crisis line, and the film brought back memories of the people she spoke with who were contemplating taking their own lives. In this moving post, she reflects on the film, what she learned as a crisis responder, and the connections between military service, suicide and homelessness.

Spark Change Podcast Episode 14: “Finding Our Way”

Watch on YouTube.com
We give background on how the "Finding Our Way" storytelling project was conceived and executed, including details about the participant recruiting process and our “listening parties.” We also walk you through the new StoryCorps section of our website, explaining features of the public page’s edited stories, and offering a sneak peek at the raw story archive, which is still under construction but will soon be available for advocacy partners to access.