What's Your

People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos Story?

Image: This Gente y Cuentos group at Children's Home Society in Trenton, NJ grew in confidence from virtual to final gathering in person this spring. Coordinator Ana Meijia, second from right, in back row.

Greetings!

One of the many things I love about People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos is that nearly everyone has a story about how they discovered us.

Perhaps a friend invited you to a session or one of our Notable Words events. Maybe you attended a program years ago and have been with us ever since. Some of you knew our founder, Sarah Hirschman. Others discovered us through a library, community partner, colleague, family member, donor, board member, volunteer, or one of our coordinators.

Whatever first brought you to People & Stories, we're grateful you're here. What unites us is a belief that stories can open minds, touch hearts, and sometimes even change lives.

This summer brings several wonderful opportunities to reconnect with People & Stories - or to introduce someone new to the experience, including:

• Our upcoming State of the Arts feature

• Free "Try It!" sessions in Summit and Princeton, New Jersey

Speaking of stories - as we always do - I suspect your story about how you discovered us is pretty interesting. I'd love to hear it!

Simply reply to this email and share how you discovered People & Stories - and what has kept you engaged along the way.

I'm excited to share what's ahead this summer with you, below, and look forward to connecting soon!

Many warm hugs,

Debra

Debra Lampert-Rudman, M.Ed.

Executive Director

debra@peopleandstories.org

You're Invited:

Summer "Try It!" Sessions

We are deeply grateful to our summer "Try It!" hosts, Morven Museum & Garden and Summit Free Public Library, for opening their doors and helping us introduce new audiences to People & Stories across New Jersey.

Choose from the beauty of Morven's gardens in Princeton led by coordinator Dr. Marcy Schwartz on Thursday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. and/or the welcoming gathering space at Summit Free Public Library led by coordinator Teresa Leary on Tuesday, July 28 at 12:30 p.m. and experience People & Stories firsthand.

During each free 90-minute session, a talented coordinator will read a contemporary or classic short story and poem aloud.

Following the reading, participants are invited to join a guided discussion, sharing their own thoughts, experiences, and insights, if they wish.

No preparation required.
Light refreshments provided.
Registration required and space is limited.

Join us to "Try It" this summer!

Reserve Your Spot at Morven Museum

Reserve Your Spot at Summit Public Library

Coming Soon:

People & Stories on

State of the Arts

The Wait Is Almost Over!

We are thrilled that People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos will once again be featured on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series State of the Arts, which has earned more than 30 Emmy Awards for its outstanding coverage of New Jersey's vibrant arts community.

Some may remember that State of the Arts fe atured People & Stories nearly a decade ago.

This new segment, filmed by multi-Emmy-award-winning videographer Nate Reininga, offers a fresh perspective on our work and the communities we serve today.

One of the longest-running arts programs in the country, State of the Arts has spent nearly four decades shining a spotlight on