Setting the Stage for a New View of Mental Health

As a young mom with a passion for teaching young people, Meg Ritter understands the power of stories. Her philosophy is, “Stories can bring people together in peaceful ways and renew hope. Both of which strengthen our communities tremendously.”

[pullquote]Listen in: A theater company changes our view of mental health + a storyteller helps neighborhoods find their power[/pullquote]

Audio storytelling opens up a completely different, but equally powerful way to experience that human-to-human connection. “At its best, audio storytelling is not just entertainment, it also can be enlightenment.”

With that in mind and a recorder in hand, Ritter set out to connect with Erasing the Distance, a Chicago-based theater company that changes the narrative and challenges the stigma surrounding mental health.

Listen to Meg’s story here:

Mario Contreras loves live storytelling—the energy, the unpredictability and the community of strangers that quickly become family.

Stories and storytelling often go beyond entertainment. Contreras shares, “Stories remind us of the good side of humanity and caution against the bad. Telling stories helps us process emotions in real time and listening connects us to one another.”

Contreras spotlights Scott Whitehair, a man who found his way through live storytelling after sharing his own story, one of exclusion, on stage. He funneled that newfound passion into Do Not Submit, an open-mic series that he brings to underserved neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

Listen to Mario’s story here:

The Chicago Community Trust is in partnership with the Vocalo Storytellers Workshop series. Over the next several months, workshop participants will share unique examples of what giving back and philanthropy mean in underrepresented communities and across different cultures. Tune in to Vocalo’s Morning AMp every Thursday, from July 9 until August 6, at 9:00am for interviews with the storytellers.