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The Impact of Storytelling: A Conversation with Nancy, a Community Council Member
Stories can be a powerful tool that can guide an organization in a variety of ways. As our Capacity Building team continues to explore the Power of Storytelling, we asked Community Connector, Yvonne Pacheco, to join the conversation.
Yvonne works in the Communities of Solutions Department; a team rooted in community partnerships. Their focus is to find, learn about, connect with, and provide capacity building support to community organizations. Yvonne emphasizes how listening and learning from community perspectives can build connections, “I built those relationships out with different community partners, community advocates, and I’m just listening to stories [wondering], what is the story they’re telling about their community?”
To deep our understanding on the power of storytelling, Yvonne suggested connecting with Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ (MHM) Community Councils. Nimet McGrath, Community Council Manager, connected our team with Community Council member, Nancy. Nancy’s personal story is one of managing adversity and ongoing struggles in her life and journeying to resilient career and educational paths, earning certifications as a Community Health Worker (CHW), Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS) and Recovery Support Peer Specialist (RSPS). In this blog post, Nancy shares how her life experiences led her to become a ‘caring servant’ who listens to others.
What does storytelling mean to you?
“I just feel like to me storytelling is powerful because it takes hidden struggles and brings them into the light,” Nancy said. “When I share my story, it builds trust and lets others know they’re not alone.”
Nancy has navigated decades of hardships, one after another, including childhood emotional abuse, family abandonment, financial struggles, unstable housing, alcoholism, depression and anxiety. When Nancy shares her life story, people are often surprised by everything she has experienced.
“I lost it all,” she said. “But I gained a different type of career that has lifted me to lift people.”
Although she has lived through difficult life experiences, making it through them has given Nancy a new perspective. She now sees that the darkness she lived through has led her to a path of bringing hope to others.
“I’ve realized that my lived experience not only helps me support my own children differently, but also allows me to help change the lives of other families walking the same road,” Nancy said.
Nancy often asks herself when considering how she’ll extend a hand to help lift someone else up, “How is this going to be a successful story?”
Why do you do this work?
“I try to help single moms like me that suffer from depression and anxiety and being hopeless,” Nancy shared. She wants other single moms to feel supported and provide them with access to resources she didn’t have.
“I have a big family, and nobody was there for us. Nobody. So, I know the loneliness. I know the grieving. I know the struggle of counting pennies.”
“So, I felt like if I’m receiving, I need to give. I have to give back to the community. You have to have a heart.”
“Because my life was so hard, I understand. I understand everything. The addiction, the loneliness, the fear. I do this work because God turned my pain into purpose. I’ve lived the struggles myself, and I don’t want anyone to feel alone. Serving others brings me joy and strength, and it’s my way of showing the hope that God has given me.”
Why do stories matter to you and in your work?
“Stories matter because they build trust, remind people they’re more than statistics, and make them feel seen. They heal, connect us, and inspire action in ways numbers never can,” Nancy said.
If you could tell an organization like ours and other nonprofits one thing about the importance of listening to the people that we serve, what would it be? What do you think is the most important thing that an organization like MHM and others that serve community should consider?
“Well, I think stories impact communities because they make the unseen visible. It shows the real needs people face, and they move organizations to respond with compassion. Stories also shape funding and partnerships, and they empower residents to become leaders themselves, you know. At the heart, stories remind us we’re connected and that every program is about real people, not just numbers. I just feel that these stories, they’re so life-changing for some of us.”
“Through sharing her story, as well as how her story has led to impacting others, Nancy has demonstrated that sharing stories is important to her work. Especially as a Peer Specialist, storytelling allows Nancy to build trust, connect, relate, uplift, and inspire. As she describes, “It’s my calling. I have purpose. I didn’t know I had purpose here. I thought I didn’t want to be here. And now…I love my purpose.”
Not only does Nancy have this impact on her community, but also on organizations and funders. Nancy’s ability to share a genuine, authentic, and compelling story can also tug at the listener’s heartstrings and call them to act.
Funders and organizations who provide support to community can learn from Nancy’s example. We can be more intentional about listening and amplifying community voices. It is important to hear directly from people with lived and living experiences. When we ask community voices to share their stories, it’s our time to listen and learn. We can then share—with their permission—their impactful stories to continue to garner support so we can help make a difference in the lives of people we serve.
