Strength-Based Client Stories
I've been privileged to help tell stories of incredible resilience while working as a communications manager and director for nonprofit organizations. At Childhaven, a family mental health center in Seattle, WA, I created a series of client stories for fundraising events.
The sensitive nature of Childhaven's work posed a true communications challenge. How do you talk about extreme adversity—drug addition, childhood trauma, homelessness, etc—without exploiting or stigmatizing clients? To solve this problem, I developed a framework for communications professionals that emphasizes strength, works to dismantle racist ideologies, and ensures that clients have total control over their stories.
The framework was first used in my partnership with Childhaven client Jeniffer Trice, the deeply inspiring woman featured in the video on this page.
I helped Jeniffer prepare a speech for Childhaven's annual fundraiser. We wrote the speech together, and I coached her delivery. Jeniffer told me she felt safe, seen, and empowered throughout our work together—the highest praise I could have possibly received.
The fundraising event broke records for Childhaven.
I also had the opportunity to partner with some very young individuals to create stories at Childhaven! The piece above allowed me to use my strength-based communications framework with a more traditional narrative. I made sure to begin and end the article with Ryan's joy, rather than with her struggle.
I contributed writing and photography to Ryan's story.