December 20, 2007

If you're anything like me, you have been managing a holiday to-do list that just doesn't seem to get any shorter! Well, here at StoryCorps we've also been busy updating two additional lists, our 2007 Accomplishments and our 2008 Plans.

I share these lists with you because this is a chance for the entire StoryCorps community to reflect on the incredible strides this program has made in the last year. But it is also a chance for us to get excited about the year to come. We have a lot that we want to get done in 2008 and we count on the 30,000+ Alumni like you to help us get there. StoryCorps would be nowhere without you—your stories—and your commitment.

If you haven't yet made your 2007 donation to StoryCorps, we ask that you take just two minutes to do so. Your donations are what make it possible to begin work on accomplishing our 2008 goals.

Thank you and happy holidays from everyone at StoryCorps!

Best,

Matt
Alumni Coordinator
alumni@storycorps.net

We recorded more than 6,000 interviews in 2007, which brings the total to more than 15,000 interviews recorded since 2003.

StoryKits have made their way to every state, and MobileBooths have now visited 46 states.

StoryCorps Griot recorded more than 1,000 interviews.

We opened new StoryBooths in both Milwaukee and Nashville.

We launched our StoryCorps Alumni program.

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Record 7,000 new interviews, which will increase the size of our archive by nearly 50%.

Bring the MobileBooths to 26 local communities.

Record at least 500 new interviews with African Americans during the second year of our Griot Initiative.

Get Alumni more involved with StoryCorps in their local communities.

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During this especially busy time of year, we encourage you to take some time to listen to your friends, family, and loved ones.

As anyone who has participated in StoryCorps already knows, one of the best ways to start listening is by asking questions. Get a new conversation started with old (and brand new) friends or family members by simply sending them a question through our special feature on the StoryCorps website. Ask them your own question or use one of our "Great Questions."

Give it a shot: send an email, ask a question, and listen to what comes back.

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As people reflect on their personal histories they often bring up memories of the holidays. In celebration of the holidays we thought we'd share some of these delightful and touching stories from fellow Alumni. You can hear more holiday stories on our website.

"We had this myth that Santa Claus decorated our tree." Mary Breakstone to her husband, Bob. Listen...	"In 1944 my brother, Joe, was in the service." Marie DeSantis tells her grandson, Mark Hayes, about a Christmas during World War II. Listen ...
"My dad had seen some pearl necklace in Paris..." Hania Jakubowski tells the story of her parents' engagement. Listen ...	"One Christmas, I got this ice-skating outfit for Barbie. It was made out of deep purple velvet trimmed in fake fur." Cathy Slumber to her daughter, Kelly. Listen ...

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Listen to Charles' story

StoryCorps Alum, Charles Jackson, recently talked about the day he found out that his mother had Alzheimer's disease as well as what life is like for him now the he too has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. This story was recorded as part of StoryCorps' Memory Loss Initiative.

Here are some of our listeners' responses to Charles' story.

Listener:
My mother died from Alzheimer's 2 years ago. As I watched the disease progress, I saw her personality change. I saw her lose her memories of her families and friends. I watched as she seemed to lose all recollection of memories she shared with us. This made me wonder if Mom was really still there. Can a mother still be a mother if she doesn't know she is? Is a sister still a sister if she doesn't recognize her family? Is a bookworm still a bookworm even though she can't read anymore? Was my mom still Mom? Thank you for explaining that she could still have fun, she still wanted to be treated as she was before, and that she was still inside.

Listener:
Thanks so much to Charles Jackson for his moving story. My 96-year-old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 14 years ago. Sometimes I am tormented because, rightly or wrongly, my sister and I never told her of her diagnosis. We never had the right opportunity to ask what she was feeling. Charles Jackson's "But inside I'm still here. I'm still me," was so helpful today. I bet that is exactly what our mother, Frances Brown, would say if she could.

Mother continues to bring love and joy to her family and the small community of her healthcare facility even with capabilities vastly diminished by the last stages of Alzheimer's. I cannot even fathom what more Charles Jackson will achieve. I am sharing his piece with my sister and the rest of our family right now.

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AT&T is a proud national sponsor of StoryCorps. Additional major funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

StoryCorps is also made possible by generous support from the Annenberg Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kaplen Foundation, and Open Society Institute. Special support for StoryCorps' Memory Loss Initiative is provided by Joe and Carol Reich.

StoryCorps is a project of Sound Portraits Productions in partnership with NPR and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

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If You Haven't Had the Chance to Make your End-of-Year Donation...
Please take two minutes to do so. By supporting StoryCorps with a financial donation you help make it possible for StoryCorps Alumni like yourself to record another interview, for new participants to share this experience, and for listeners to continue hearing these remarkable stories. Please consider making a donation before the year's end so we can turn our 2008 plans into 2008 accomplishments!

A Great Last Minute Shopping Idea
Just in time for the holiday season, our new book and CD are now available in bookstores nationwide, as well as at Starbucks! But this isn't just any gift—when you buy a copy of the book, 100% of the royalties go towards our mission to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening.

Talk Back!
As we all know, a conversation takes two (or more!) So, let us know what you're thinking, what you'd like to hear about, or if you have an experience to share. Like family, we rely on StoryCorps Alumni to tell us what we're doing right, what we're doing wrong, and how you might want to get involved.

StoryCorps Alumni Coordinator
646-723-7020 x77

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