In 2025, the organization made significant strides, leading 32 major engagements across 13 states and reaching thousands with impactful stories. Support from donors was crucial for this growth, helping cultivate hope and community connection, while navigating challenges like mental health and addiction. Continue reading 2025 year in review
The series explores Northern Ireland’s journey toward healing after the Troubles, highlighting conversations with artists, educators, and peacebuilders. Despite ongoing tensions since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, these individuals use creativity to foster dialogue and rebuild trust. Each week features interviews and reflections, offering insights into reconciliation and the human spirit. Continue reading The Troubles
On my last day at Standing Rock, one of the students asked me, “What do you think you’ll remember most about this place when you leave?” And after a minute, I said, “I think I’ll remember how warmly you all welcomed me from the first minute I walked in the door.” I was Mr. John for the week as I visited classrooms and set up … Continue reading Standing Rock
We are sharing stories of addiction and recovery to inspire hope and healing. Recently, a public studio was established at a recovery event in St. Cloud, organized by the Recovery Community Network, featuring peer support, a meal, and entertainment. Thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board for their support in this initiative. Continue reading SOBR
The author reflects on a week spent in Beaver Dam, WI, their hometown, discussing the concept of belonging. Reconnecting with the community, they participated in a program by AAUW and enjoyed heartfelt interactions with locals, including old friends and neighbors. Despite the loss of parents, the warmth of the community reaffirmed their sense of belonging. Continue reading My hometown
A Peace of My Mind is launching a fall fundraiser to support its growth and upcoming projects in 2026. The organization has expanded operations, upgraded equipment, and initiated new storytelling endeavors. Donations are crucial for sustaining and enhancing these efforts, as new content creation is not revenue-generating. Support from donors shapes the future of the initiative. Continue reading Help A Peace of My Mind Continue Its Impact in 2026
Restoration programs senior manager, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Darrah Fox Bach cultivated her love for the outdoors in her native San Francisco, where environmentalism flourishes and Saturdays were devoted to hiking. She moved to Louisiana to study at Tulane University, and stayed for an AmeriCorps position with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL). When a job opened up at the non-profit advocacy group, … Continue reading Darrah Fox Bach
Kristian Bailey is a farmer, and he also considers himself a land steward and teacher. At Orais Hand Farm, located across the road from the Mississippi River, he is trying to move away from the idea of human dominion over nature. Instead, he is working in cooperation with it.
Kristian talks about farming with “tenderness”: recognizing that Southern land carries wounds (his own farm is on a former plantation site) and that part of his job is to help heal those wounds. Continue reading Kristian Bailey
Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Chief Devon Parfait spent his early years in Dulac, a bayou community at the edge of Louisiana. He caught fish from the dock, bounced on his neighbor’s trampoline, and went out on his grandfather’s shrimp boat. But Hurricane Rita destroyed his family’s home in 2005, when he was 8, setting off years of displacement. The extended family migrated inland and … Continue reading Chief Devon Parfait
For this series, we are partnering with longtime friend and journalist Barry Yeoman. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Barry has lived and worked in Louisiana and has written extensively about the complexities of culture, environment, and economy along the state’s coastline. You can learn more about Barry’s work here. Together, we crafted the arc of the series and identified the specific people to interview. Barry … Continue reading Still Here: Stories from a fragile coastline
