(And help KRC collect a $500 stipend!)

Please help KRC raise $500 by simply sharing a short story (3 – 5 sentences) about something that has made an impression on you (good or bad) recently.

During this unprecedented time of uncertainty and stress, sharing stories is a powerful tool for helping to process and better understand the unique situations and challenges we are experiencing, and to help influence positive outcomes.

We are collecting Kansans’ stories as part of the Our Tomorrows project through the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research. All stories are submitted anonymously and will be used to get the lived experiences of real-life Kansans into the hands of key decision makers.

To share your story, simply click the link below which will take you to an online story collection tool. Follow the prompts to quickly and easily share your experiences. You can share as many stories as you like, as often as you like. And, please pass the link along to your friends and family and anyone else you can think of.

Share your story – https://ourtomorro.ws/KansasRuralCenter.

After sharing your story, you will be asked a few questions about it.  Not all questions may be applicable to you or your story.  In those cases, simply check the n/a option. 

Your story will become part of an online statewide Story Bank, which will support rapid response to the critical needs of Kansans. The Story Bank can be used immediately by decision-makers at any level – including legislators and people in your agency – to inform actions and next steps during this time of uncertainty.

There are a number of organizations involved in the story collection process. The link we have provided is unique to the Kansas Rural Center (KRC). If 50 stories are collected via our link by June 15, we will receive a $500 stipend, which will be used to continue the work we do to sustain a healthy farm and food system in Kansas. The stories you share do not need to be related to farming, but they sure can be!

We know your time is valuable, and we thank you for sharing your story. It will help make change in our community and across Kansas! 

If you are having a hard time thinking about what to share, here are a few prompts that could spark an idea –

Did someone help you this week or recently? What would you have done without the help?

Did you help someone this recently?

What worries kept you up last night?

How has COVID changed the way you do business?

Tell us about a moment when you helped your friends or neighbors with COVID struggles.

What problems are you dealing with right now?

How has your educational experience been altered?

Have you been to the grocery store this week? What was it like?

Have your kiddos expressed fear about Coronavirus? What did they say?

What are your fears today?

Did you receive your stimulus check? What will you use the funds for?