Throughout the festival, one of our goals is to highlight organizations working to help others share stories. Last year, we had the privilege of highlighting the Tomcat Bridgebuilders for their work in sharing stories that heal.

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The Tomcat Bridgebuilders strive to strengthen the Glouster community through substance abuse prevention awareness, education, leadership support and creating opportunities for youth to thrive. One of the most impressive projects they’ve taken on was the Young Voices project, which published an anthology of student-written essays about their experience with addiction.

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This past October, several students volunteered to read their incredibly powerful stories at the Awards brunch—one even read it on stage outdoors for the entire festival to hear. The Hope in their voices was palpable, and the Tomcat Bridgebuilders work with this storytelling project clearly changed lives.

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Thank you, Becky Handa and Kathy Trace, for your leadership!