Our Storytelling Philosophy
Your story. Your power.
At The Open Link, our Valley neighbors and community are at the heart of what we do. We also recognize that our participants' stories are not only important for us to hear and learn - they can and should be heard by others.
These stories have the power to:
- Turn hard statistics into human experiences
- Build emotional connections among strangers, neighbors, and communities
- Establish trust among donors, grantors, volunteers, community partners, and local changemakers
- Inspire giving, volunteering, advocacy, and policy changes among local and state government
- Most importantly: provide hope for those in similar situations who are seeking help
We want to hear from you. If you are a current or past participant of any of our programs and services, we'd love to speak with you about your background, experience, and journey.
In exchange for your story, you will be compensated with a gift card.
Your Privacy
We recognize that in sharing your story, your privacy and dignity comes first. That's why we've created our Storytelling Intake Form.
On the form, we do collect basic intake information (ex. name, phone number, programs you've participated in, etc.) for internal data storage purposes only. Beyond this, on the form, we offer you decisions on:
- Sharing your name (first and/or last)
- Sharing your image and/or voice (photo, video, audio/voice)
- Where and how you'd like to be interviewed (in-person, digital interview, phone call, e-mail)
- What identifying details of your story you would like to keep and like to omit
- Platforms you consent to sharing your story with (ex. social media, print newsletter, e-newsletter, website, etc.)
Getting Started
To get started, please fill out our digital form at the Fill Out Our Digital Storytelling Intake Form button below or print out the form at the Print Our Storytelling Intake Form button below and mail to The Open Link, Attn: Alyssa Opdyke, 452 Penn Street, Pennsburg, PA 18073.
For questions or additional information regarding sharing your story, please contact Alyssa Opdyke, Marketing and Development Manager, at alyssao@theopenlink.org or 215-679-4112.
