Connecting Our Stories

Today we sit down with Emily Douglas, Community Outreach Coordinator at the Blaine Police Department in Minnesota, to talk about healthy communities, the "bank of trust" and how we believe changing culture is indeed possible. Get your bracelet here! These elastic bracelets are a statement of belief that your story matters and the stories of others around you matter. Medium and Large sizes available. storiesfoundation.org/your-story-matters-campaign Please consider sharing this episode and the bracelet campaign with a friend! #yourstorymatters

Thank you for joining us on this journey where we learn more about the world and people around us as we do this work to inspire communities, influence culture and provide action steps along the way. Here are a few of our favorite conversations from previous episodes: > Healing Trauma Through Creativity > Francine Rivers & Redeeming Love > It's A Human Issue > Gina's Story Pt. 1 > Story of a Buyer LISTEN, SHARE A LEAVE A REVIEW! Your participation in any of these ways help us spread this awareness and further our mission. Thank you!

Happy 2024 from all of us here at Stories Foundation and the Connecting our Stories Podcast! At Stories Foundation we believe every person has a unique story and every story matters. We all know in our stories there are messy, hard and beautiful pieces and when we share story together we gain a greater understanding of each other and the world we live in. In this episode we hear from our friend and survivor of human trafficking and exploitation, Ren. Ren's shares vulnerably about her story and for some, it may be triggering. We create compassionate spaces for ourselves and others here, remember to have compassion for yourself as you listen! If you have questions or want to learn more about human trafficking and the things Ren shares in this episode, reach out to hello@storiesfoundation.org for more resources. You can partner with us in this work by sharing this podcast, leaving us a review and making a donation at www.storiesfoundation.org.

Stories Foundation is a nonprofit and for our End of Year event this year instead of a Gala we did a Ted Talk style event on Relationships! We are thrilled to be able to bring the content to you via our first live podcast. This conversation about relationships matters because in relationships people are manipulated, exploited and trafficked AND in relationships we can prevent human trafficking, intervene in human trafficking and see healing and restoration take place. As we close out the year, we invite you to partner with us by taking ACTION. Become a monthly or one time donor, host an in person or virtual awareness event, connect us to a school or front line agency. There are many ways we can decrease human trafficking in our communities - thank you for partnering with us! Statistics: > 1 in 3 young people will be in an abusive or unhealthy relationship. > Only 1/3 of young people who are in an abusive or unhealthy relationship will tell someone. > 1 in 5 young people report being emotionally abused by a friend or partner. > A study in 2019 polled Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials on how often they feel lonely. An average of 21% of adults polled report being "very often/always" feeling lonely. 15% of Boomers, 20% of Gen X and 30% of Millennials. > Forbes reports that 73% of Gen Z says they feel "very often/always" lonely. Download the program and follow along HERE.

In this episode you'll hear from Tony Loyd. Tony is an encourager, a coach of coaches, an entrepreneur and a humble visionary. He is a best-selling author, business coach, and running coach. Through Culture Shift Companies, he mentors startup founders who use business to do social good. Hear more from Tony at the Connecting Our Stories event on November 16. It's NOT TOO LATE to sign up! Click the link below to register. * EVENT ALERT * Connecting Our Stories: a live podcast event on how we relate to others This is a TED Talk style event where we get honest about relationships. Everyone is in relationships (friends, family, and community). Hear from experts in various fields share their lived experience and offer wisdom on relationships and connection. SPEAKERS: > Tony Loyd (Author | Crazy Good Ideas) > Heidi Mortenson (MA, LMFT, CDWF | Bridging Hope Counseling) > Emily Douglas (Community Outreach Coordinator | Blaine Police Dept) & Holly Lammers (Victim/Witness Services Manager | Anoka County) > Scott Kirchoff (Campus Pastor | Eagle Brook - Blaine) 3 ways to join us: > REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE > BUY an AD Spot HERE > SPONSOR the event HERE If you are local to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN -- please come! to laugh, learn and take action for healthy relationships and against exploitation and manipulation as we raise awareness and funds to end human trafficking. This event will be recorded and released as a podcast episode for the Connecting our Stories podcast. Don't miss out, invite those who you want to learn about healthy relationships and be activated to take action with today!

Steph sits down with Heidi Mortenson, one of our speakers for the upcoming first ever podcast event on healthy and unhealthy relationships. She shares on who she is, what she does and why this topic is valuable to her. Check out Heidi's book The Brave Encourager too! Join us on the 16th in person or watch for the podcast soon after. If the Connecting our Stories Podcast has been valuable to you, will you share it with your community and leave a review so more people can find us? * EVENT ALERT * Connecting Our Stories: a live podcast event on how we relate to others This is a TED Talk style event where we get honest about relationships. Everyone is in relationships (friends, family, and community). Hear from experts in various fields share their lived experience and offer wisdom on relationships and connection. SPEAKERS: > Tony Loyd (Author | Crazy Good Ideas) > Heidi Mortenson (MA, LMFT, CDWF | Bridging Hope Counseling) > Emily Douglas (Community Outreach Coordinator | Blaine Police Dept) & Holly Lammers (Victim/Witness Services Manager | Anoka County) > Scott Kirchoff (Campus Pastor | Eagle Brook - Blaine) 3 ways to join us: > REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE > BUY an AD Spot HERE > SPONSOR the event HERE If you are local to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN -- please come! to laugh, learn and take action for healthy relationships and against exploitation and manipulation as we raise awareness and funds to end human trafficking. This event will be recorded and released as a podcast episode for the Connecting our Stories podcast. Don't miss out, invite those who you want to learn about healthy relationships and be activated to take action with today!

Steph sits down with Emily Douglas and Holly Lammers two of our speakers for the upcoming first ever podcast event on healthy and unhealthy relationships. They share who they are, what they do and why this topic is valuable to them. Join us on the 16th in person or watch for the podcast soon after. If the Connecting our Stories Podcast has been valuable to you, will you share it with your community and leave a review so more people can find us? * EVENT ALERT * Connecting Our Stories: a live podcast event on how we relate to others This is a TED Talk style event where we get honest about relationships. Everyone is in relationships (friends, family, and community). Hear from experts in various fields share their lived experience and offer wisdom on relationships and connection. SPEAKERS: > Tony Loyd (Author | Crazy Good Ideas) > Heidi Mortenson (MA, LMFT, CDWF | Bridging Hope Counseling) > Emily Douglas (Community Outreach Coordinator | Blaine Police Dept) & Holly Lammers (Victim/Witness Services Manager | Anoka County) > Scott Kirchoff (Campus Pastor | Eagle Brook - Blaine) 3 ways to join us: > REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE > BUY an AD Spot HERE > SPONSOR the event HERE If you are local to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN -- please come! to laugh, learn and take action for healthy relationships and against exploitation and manipulation as we raise awareness and funds to end human trafficking. This event will be recorded and released as a podcast episode for the Connecting our Stories podcast. Don't miss out, invite those who you want to learn about healthy relationships and be activated to take action with today!

* EVENT ALERT * In this episode Steph and Ana Lena give you a sneak peek at the first ever Podcast Event! Connecting Our Stories: a live podcast event on how we relate to others This is a TED Talk style event where we get honest about relationships. Everyone is in relationships (friends, family, and community). Hear from experts in various fields share their lived experience and offer wisdom on relationships and connection. SPEAKERS: > Tony Loyd (Author | Crazy Good Ideas) > Heidi Mortenson (MA, LMFT, CDWF | Bridging Hope Counseling) > Emily Douglas (Community Outreach Coordinator | Blaine Police Dept) & Holly Lammers (Victim/Witness Services Manager | Anoka County) > Scott Kirchoff (Campus Pastor | Eagle Brook - Blaine) 3 ways to join us: > REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE > BUY an AD Spot HERE > SPONSOR the event HERE If you are local to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN -- please come! to laugh, learn and take action for healthy relationships and against exploitation and manipulation as we raise awareness and funds to end human trafficking. This event will be recorded and released as a podcast episode for the Connecting our Stories podcast. Don't miss out, invite those who you want to learn about healthy relationships and be activated to take action with today!

Lalenya is a survivor who has chosen to bravely share your story with us, and also use her story to impact others by starting a nonprofit. We’re so grateful she chose to share her story, and we hope that all of us listening can learn more about what intimate partner violence, and abuse looks like and what it looks like to get a place of healing so that you can share and help others. Thanks for listening! Clearview Works Facebook

Lalenya is a survivor who has chosen to bravely share your story with us, and also use her story to impact others by starting a nonprofit. We’re so grateful she chose to share her story, and we hope that all of us listening can learn more about what intimate partner violence, and abuse looks like and what it looks like to get a place of healing so that you can share and help others. Thanks for listening! Clearview Works Facebook

Get tickets to the event Steph mentioned at the end of the episode HERE: storiesfoundation.kindful.com/e/create-for-change You'll get to pour a candle, pot a plant, eat good food and listen to Steph Page give a talk on how worth and value play a role in the fight against human trafficking in our communities. $50/person * SPACE IS LIMITED *

In this episode of the Connecting Our Stories podcast, we have a chat with one of our favorite authors Francine Rivers. Francine is the best selling author of Redeeming Love, The Scarlet Thread, The Atonement Child - just to name a few! You can check out her work at francinerivers.com. In our conversation today we hear the story behind the story of Redeeming Love and talk about the importance and value of storytelling. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode and share it with a friend. Follow @storiesfoundation on Instagram & Facebook for details on a few giveaways happening soon. YOU ARE INVITED! Join us November 18 for a comedy hour fundraiser for Storyteller Cafe. Tickets are available now, and space is limited. Claim your spot HERE or at storiesfoundation.org/events.

Today we sit down with our dear friend Danielle Freitag. She is a fierce woman fighting for the freedom of those trapped in a life of exploitation, which she has a personal connection to. Danielle helps us see the hope that comes out of the work being done to restore those coming out of a life of exploitation and how we can engage. Learn more about Action169, Rose House and Danielle's book The Garden Keys HERE. Want to support the work Stories Foundation is doing to fight trafficking in Minnesota? Join us HERE.

Steph chats with Mark Steenbarger and Emily Taylor-Ginger about their inventive way of utilizing media to tell stories of those who have survived abuse and exploitation. The mission at Point of View Story is to empower survivors by creating moments through the power of film. Their work is radical and will change the way we relate to stories of trafficking and develop compassion for both those who have similar experiences and for ourselves. Learn more about Point of View Story HERE. IMPACT PRODUCER: Emily Taylor-Ginger, MSW, LCSW Emily is a licensed clinical social worker and mental health therapist who began working in the anti-trafficking field in 2013. She has worked alongside survivors of CSE ages 12-50 providing therapy, groups, case management, and advocacy. She has participated in anti-trafficking research, policy directives, and education and training in addition to her clinical practice. Emily offers her expertise in the field of mental health, trauma-informed/ healing-centered care, and working alongside survivors. FILMMAKER: Mark Steenbarger, MFA Film Candidate 2021 Mark became involved in anti-trafficking work in 2018 after his wife, Jill, began working as a case manager serving trafficked youth. Mark has a passion to create moments through story and film that evoke healing and growth. As a filmmaker, director, producer, and creative, Mark uses his talent and skill to artfully craft, produce, and execute story through film.

Steph Page and Ana Lena Copeland sit down to share about the upcoming episodes in the Survivors Speak series. Join us over the next few weeks for stories of restoration, healing and redemption.

Awareness truly is action. Thank you for choosing to become more aware of human trafficking and its relating issues. And thank you for listening to this series on how we can influence culture and use that change as a strategic way to fight human trafficking. Share this series with a friend to keep expanding the reach of this awareness! Would you help others find our podcast by rating and writing a review? Some ways you can continue in your awareness: - Go through our online curriculum on the root causes of human trafficking and exploitation. - Join the Influence Culture group we created as a space to have these conversations and share our stories. - Take the Myth Vs. Truth quiz. Interested hosting an awareness event with a group of your people? Let us know by emailing us at storiesfoundation@gmail.com.

Everything you bring to the table is valuable and is unique to you. All of it can be used, repurposed and redeemed to change a culture that exploits people. You have so much to offer with your influence and voice! Your... - life experience - abilities - work background - education - connections - networking - financial resources - and so much more You matter. The lie is that issues of injustice are too big for community members to do anything about. But the truth is that each of us has influence, impact and a voice in that space. DO NOT minimize or underestimate your influence! What do you bring to the table? Connect with us about it at storiesfoundation@gmail.com. Donate to help us break ground on Storyteller Cafe HERE!