The Storytellers For Good Film Festival Fundraiser on Friday was a great success. Well over 150 people came to the Minna Street Gallery venue to support their favorite of our five competing nonprofits. All deserved to win, but the final tally of votes revealed a clear winner – Project Grace.

The sheer power of the story told by one Project Grace participant about her son who died of cancer at the age of 21 probably did more than anything to win them our next pro bono Storytellers For Good video (see the cellphone footage of her presentation below). It is true that many of us don’t know what to do or say around someone who has lost a child. One struggles to imagine how devastating that would be if it happened to us, let alone know how you would want people around you to act. What Project Grace does is to provide a supportive environment for grieving parents where, by participating in projects that help others they can both honor their loved one while at the same time helping others in need.

“Whether they are singing songs with the children of an orphanage, handing out food and clothing to the families living at the Puerto Vallarta dump in Mexico, or helping to build a school in Nicaragua, our goal is to help Project Grace participants find strength, hope and a renewed sense of purpose through dedicating their time and hearts to a meaningful endeavor. Laughter, friendship, tears and treasured moments are all a part of the experience as participants share their stories, offer compassion and support to one another, and work together to provide tangible aid to an impoverished community.”

Although Project Grace was our outright winner it is not all over for the remaining four! Storytellers For Good is looking to find the funding to tell the stories of at least one, maybe two, of the nonprofits that took part at our event on Friday – Threshold Choir, Creativity Explored, Curry Without Worry and Jacmel Children’s Center – more information on that coming soon!

Finally we wish to say a big “thank you” for both the generosity of the wonderful Minna Street Gallery in San Francisco for providing us with such a great venue, and also to the many local businesses who supported our fundraiser with the donation of prizes for our raffle and silent auction. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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