What We Do
What We Do
Embedded Files
Take Back Your Story is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. By providing storytelling platforms, including workshops, exercises, and publications, as well as strategic support to publicize narrative-changing stories, we empower individuals to find meaning in their journeys, worth in their strengths, and passion for the vast places their growth can carry them.
Take Back Your Story is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. By providing storytelling platforms, including workshops, exercises, and publications, as well as strategic support to publicize narrative-changing stories, we empower individuals to find meaning in their journeys, worth in their strengths, and passion for the vast places their growth can carry them.
Our Programs
Our Programs
Writers' Workshops: Take Back Your Story's expert writers guide participants to hone their writing craft and develop compelling personal essays and memoirs to tell their own stories in powerful and empowering ways.
Healing Words: Take Back Your Storty partners with Trauma Informed to offer monthly expressive writing sessions using an evidence-based approach proven to reduce distress and promote healing through personal narrative change.
Narrative Transformation: Systemic change comes through changing narratives related to marginalized people subjected to marginalizing systems. Take Back Your Story provides boutique-quality communications and publicity support to select writers with transformational stories that change hearts and minds.
What We Stand For
What We Stand For
Vision
Vision
The human beings we support and collaborate with are far more than the labels, bank balances, rap sheets, diagnoses, or headlines that have been attached to their details of identity. In taking back our stories we take back our power and potential to inspire progress.
The human beings we support and collaborate with are far more than the labels, bank balances, rap sheets, diagnoses, or headlines that have been attached to their details of identity. In taking back our stories we take back our power and potential to inspire progress.
Mission
Mission
Take Back Your Story nurtures individuals to consider, formulate, and share personal and collective narratives for the purposes of (re)claiming pasts, presents, and futures to achieve transformative growth and healing.
Take Back Your Story nurtures individuals to consider, formulate, and share personal and collective narratives for the purposes of (re)claiming pasts, presents, and futures to achieve transformative growth and healing.
Values
Values
Our work is guided by the core belief that everyone has a story. When that story is usurped-- be it through sociological structures, stigma, trauma, disenfranchisement, or involvement with systems of oppression-- our sense of self, and vision of what is possible, can be taken with it. We recognize and value the universal threads of connectedness across our lives and narratives. We also recognize and value the unique differences of our experiences. We are committed to reducing harm and promoting dignity with and through these similarities and differences.
Our work is guided by the core belief that everyone has a story. When that story is usurped-- be it through sociological structures, stigma, trauma, disenfranchisement, or involvement with systems of oppression-- our sense of self, and vision of what is possible, can be taken with it. We recognize and value the universal threads of connectedness across our lives and narratives. We also recognize and value the unique differences of our experiences. We are committed to reducing harm and promoting dignity with and through these similarities and differences.
Who We Are
Who We Are
Morgan Gliedman, Executive Director
Morgan Gliedman, Executive Director
When the NYPD knocked on her door, Morgan was nine months pregnant, lying in bed with her boyfriend. She gave birth to their daughter while in police custody; the couple was charged with weapons possession and facing a very long time behind bars. Morgan ultimately received a sentence of community supervision, while her partner went to prison for six years. Compounding the trauma of system involvement and the pain of parental incarceration, their case garnered international tabloid attention, with the media's salacious rendering bearing little resemblance to the actual humans impacted. Much of Morgan's subsequent recovery came through writing about her most difficult moments in article, essay, and memoir forms, using the power of narrative to take back her story. Inspired by her lived experience to fight for systemic transformation, Morgan's professional roles have included leading engagement efforts at an addiction nonprofit, overdose prevention work for a health department, delivering trauma-informed care trainings to frontline practitioners, and communications endeavors at a national reentry organization. Now, a decade after their arrest, Morgan and her husband live with their daughter, son, rambunctious puppy, and quiet cat in rural, western New York. Get to know Morgan by reading her writing here.
When the NYPD knocked on her door, Morgan was nine months pregnant, lying in bed with her boyfriend. She gave birth to their daughter while in police custody; the couple was charged with weapons possession and facing a very long time behind bars. Morgan ultimately received a sentence of community supervision, while her partner went to prison for six years. Compounding the trauma of system involvement and the pain of parental incarceration, their case garnered international tabloid attention, with the media's salacious rendering bearing little resemblance to the actual humans impacted. Much of Morgan's subsequent recovery came through writing about her most difficult moments in article, essay, and memoir forms, using the power of narrative to take back her story. Inspired by her lived experience to fight for systemic transformation, Morgan's professional roles have included leading engagement efforts at an addiction nonprofit, overdose prevention work for a health department, delivering trauma-informed care trainings to frontline practitioners, and communications endeavors at a national reentry organization. Now, a decade after their arrest, Morgan and her husband live with their daughter, son, rambunctious puppy, and quiet cat in rural, western New York. Get to know Morgan by reading her writing here.
Sara Cohen, Director of Narrative Transformation
Sara Cohen, Director of Narrative Transformation
With over a decade of experience in public relations and publishing, Sara Cohen strives to use narrative to change the way people think about the complex issues facing society. As Take Back Your Story's Director of Narrative Transformation, Sara represents a select roster of authors to amplify true stories with the power to challenge assumptions and fundamentally alter preconceived notions about poverty, justice, health, and community. As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants, Sara brings a unique perspective and critical eye to her work and sees both the potential and peril in American society.
With over a decade of experience in public relations and publishing, Sara Cohen strives to use narrative to change the way people think about the complex issues facing society. As Take Back Your Story's Director of Narrative Transformation, Sara represents a select roster of authors to amplify true stories with the power to challenge assumptions and fundamentally alter preconceived notions about poverty, justice, health, and community. As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants, Sara brings a unique perspective and critical eye to her work and sees both the potential and peril in American society.
Tania Hallim, Board Secretary
Tania Hallim, Board Secretary
Tania has been talking about the Take Back Your Story mission since long before it was trendy, encouraging friends to live their personal truths even in adolescence. Her commitment to authenticity and vivacious passion for creativity has manifested in careers in the culinary arts, literary endeavors, and gemology explorations. A native New Yorker, Tania now calls the Pacific Northwest home, where she lends her talents to animal rights, human rights, environmental justice and democracy in all forms. She is excited about her role as Secretary of the Take Back Your Story board, and of furthering the mission she has dedicated her life to.
Tania has been talking about the Take Back Your Story mission since long before it was trendy, encouraging friends to live their personal truths even in adolescence. Her commitment to authenticity and vivacious passion for creativity has manifested in careers in the culinary arts, literary endeavors, and gemology explorations. A native New Yorker, Tania now calls the Pacific Northwest home, where she lends her talents to animal rights, human rights, environmental justice and democracy in all forms. She is excited about her role as Secretary of the Take Back Your Story board, and of furthering the mission she has dedicated her life to.
Kelly King, Board Chair
Kelly King, Board Chair
Kelly’s deep-rooted sense of justice has led her to fight for equitable, fair, dignity-infused progress in the public health and legal system worlds. Her work has included developing data-driven solutions to the opioid epidemic in Baltimore, implementing harm reduction and substance use disorder treatment referral systems through a national help line, and providing training and technical assistance to Bureau of Justice Assistance funded Second Chance Act grantees within state and local prisons, jails, and community corrections agencies across the country. Kelly is passionate about serving the underserved and elevating the voices of those with lived experience. Also, she’s a doctor, but you’d never guess it from her warmly irreverent personality.
Kelly’s deep-rooted sense of justice has led her to fight for equitable, fair, dignity-infused progress in the public health and legal system worlds. Her work has included developing data-driven solutions to the opioid epidemic in Baltimore, implementing harm reduction and substance use disorder treatment referral systems through a national help line, and providing training and technical assistance to Bureau of Justice Assistance funded Second Chance Act grantees within state and local prisons, jails, and community corrections agencies across the country. Kelly is passionate about serving the underserved and elevating the voices of those with lived experience. Also, she’s a doctor, but you’d never guess it from her warmly irreverent personality.
Catherine Ollinger Bush, Board Member
Catherine Ollinger Bush, Board Member
Catherine is committed to ensuring that everyone has accessible, equitable platforms to tell their stories. In her day job as an AdTech executive, she furthers the mission through the development of creative partnerships that strengthen open source journalism, publishing, and information sharing. She is a passionate advocate for children and families, particularly as it relates to firearms laws, working to keep children safe from gun violence while promoting evidence-based legislation that reduces weapons crimes without disenfranchising Black and Brown communities historically targeted by over-policing and mass incarceration agendas. Catherine lives in New York City with her physician husband, two young daughters, and fur baby.
Catherine is committed to ensuring that everyone has accessible, equitable platforms to tell their stories. In her day job as an AdTech executive, she furthers the mission through the development of creative partnerships that strengthen open source journalism, publishing, and information sharing. She is a passionate advocate for children and families, particularly as it relates to firearms laws, working to keep children safe from gun violence while promoting evidence-based legislation that reduces weapons crimes without disenfranchising Black and Brown communities historically targeted by over-policing and mass incarceration agendas. Catherine lives in New York City with her physician husband, two young daughters, and fur baby.
Recent News
Recent News
Gratitude Wasps Inspired by a prison counselor who senselessly blocked a returning citizen's release address— leading, in a roundabout way, to him residing in a gorgeous mansion instead— the Valentine's Day gratitude wasp can be deployed at any time of year to take back our stories from those who tried to sting us in the past. We collaborated with a formerly incarcerated artist to develop this TBYS card for you to download, email your zinger or print and fold, reflect and write, snail mail or keep to yourself, sign or share it anon— utilize it in whatever way feels apt to reclaim your narrative.
Gratitude Wasps Inspired by a prison counselor who senselessly blocked a returning citizen's release address— leading, in a roundabout way, to him residing in a gorgeous mansion instead— the Valentine's Day gratitude wasp can be deployed at any time of year to take back our stories from those who tried to sting us in the past. We collaborated with a formerly incarcerated artist to develop this TBYS card for you to download, email your zinger or print and fold, reflect and write, snail mail or keep to yourself, sign or share it anon— utilize it in whatever way feels apt to reclaim your narrative.
Annual Holiday Toy Drive
Annual Holiday Toy Drive
Mass incarceration ravages families, causing disproportionate harm in communities of color due to Black Americans being imprisoned at a rate nearly five times that of whites. The financial toll of this is devastating, contributing to the racial wealth gap, rendering 65% of families suddenly unable to afford basic needs when someone gets incarcerated, saddling families with legal debts and the expenses of caring for an incarcerated loved one, as well as the high prices associated with maintaining contact, such as absurdly expensive phone calls and travel to visit facilities hundreds of miles from home. For the 2.7 million children in the US with an incarcerated parent, and the 10 million who have experienced parental incarceration in their lives, the sudden removal of Mom or Dad from daily life is deeply traumatic, an adverse experience that can reverberate for generations. The US' criminal legal system is deeply broken, inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering.
Mass incarceration ravages families, causing disproportionate harm in communities of color due to Black Americans being imprisoned at a rate nearly five times that of whites. The financial toll of this is devastating, contributing to the racial wealth gap, rendering 65% of families suddenly unable to afford basic needs when someone gets incarcerated, saddling families with legal debts and the expenses of caring for an incarcerated loved one, as well as the high prices associated with maintaining contact, such as absurdly expensive phone calls and travel to visit facilities hundreds of miles from home. For the 2.7 million children in the US with an incarcerated parent, and the 10 million who have experienced parental incarceration in their lives, the sudden removal of Mom or Dad from daily life is deeply traumatic, an adverse experience that can reverberate for generations. The US' criminal legal system is deeply broken, inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering.
Think globally; act locally. Participating in our holiday toy drive is one small, easy way you can immediately make a positive impact in the life of a child harmed by mass incarceration. Each winter TBYS collects funds to purchase gifts for children visiting a New York prison at Christmastime. We've worked with the prison Imam to arrange a system where, prior to going into the facility for visitation, each child who'd like to selects a gift of their choosing. The agency of picking what they want, and the basic joy that comes along with that, is a small way we can work to counteract the dehumanization of the prison system. The toys are waiting for the children at the end of the visit to bring home; having to leave an incarcerated parent, grandparent, brother, or friend behind at the end of the day is painful, especially during the holidays, and the Imam said it puts smiles on so many faces to have their gifts to look forward to.
Think globally; act locally. Participating in our holiday toy drive is one small, easy way you can immediately make a positive impact in the life of a child harmed by mass incarceration. Each winter TBYS collects funds to purchase gifts for children visiting a New York prison at Christmastime. We've worked with the prison Imam to arrange a system where, prior to going into the facility for visitation, each child who'd like to selects a gift of their choosing. The agency of picking what they want, and the basic joy that comes along with that, is a small way we can work to counteract the dehumanization of the prison system. The toys are waiting for the children at the end of the visit to bring home; having to leave an incarcerated parent, grandparent, brother, or friend behind at the end of the day is painful, especially during the holidays, and the Imam said it puts smiles on so many faces to have their gifts to look forward to.
Keep in Touch!
Keep in Touch!
Click here to share your contact info - we'll let you know about upcoming workshops, events, and projects!
Click here to share your contact info - we'll let you know about upcoming workshops, events, and projects!
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