Do you ever wonder if your work makes a significant difference?
I do.
I spend the year coaching, training, traveling, talking with tons of wonderful people. But sometimes I wonder, does what I do help? Do people take the suggestions or coaching advice I share and do something with it that truly helps others?
My passion is to help nonprofit staff and board members to share stories of their work. Earlier this year I delivered a webinar for Arts Midwest and their Arts Lab program. We had 50+ people signed-in online and more participating in the webinar by sitting at computers and watching in groups.
One attendee Val Ruff the Executive Director of the Marshall County Arts & Cultural Alliance had invited nonprofit organizations from her community in Iowa to listen in to my storytelling training webinar.
The hour-long session was packed with coaching advice and examples of stories about real people whose lives are different because a nonprofit organization provided something important. Sitting in Val’s office was a woman who got “lit up” by what I had to teach that day.
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Linda Cooper, a quilting guild member, is a part of a very special project. Each year Linda and many other dedicated quilters in her community create handmade quilts for veterans returning from service.
After learning some tips on how to share powerful stories, Linda rushed out of the webinar and sat down to draft their “story.” Then she took that story, visited local businesses, and shared it with as many people as would listen.
Linda’s enthusiasm and storytelling prowess along with the donations she gathered from local businesses created a very special event that honored Veterans from the Marshaltown area. Here is a video of the celebration she created.
As you can see, the Quilts of Valor are beautiful and made with loving care.
These quilts honor the commitment and sacrifice so many make in serving our country. I’m delighted the storytelling session Linda listened to resonated with her. And I’m honored to share the story of Quilts of Valor today, Veteran’s Day.
I hope this can server as a reminder for you, as it does for me, that yes, the work we do truly helps others. Sometimes we may never see their faces, but our work indeed makes a significant difference for others.
