In this podcast, Sarah asks guests to share their experiences of living in a small town, and how their neighbors helped them through a difficult time. If you enjoyed listening to the episodes, please Like and Share on Instagram and Facebook. And if you want to share your story, please email Sarah: whx2podcast@gmail.com
REQUEST FOR GUESTS
As you can imagine, convincing people to share difficult events, sometimes traumatic ones, is not easy. We hope that when people listen to the first season, they might feel compelled to share their own story, in New York or in Idaho - we welcome anyone! Being vulnerable and expressing gratitude can be emotional and frightening. We put the word out and see who responds; we'll keep it going for as long as I can.
MISSION
We hope We Heard What Happened helps us appreciate all the good people around us, especially the invisible helpers who never take credit for their amazing support. We hope it helps those suffering know that they are not alone. We hope it inspires people to step up and help when someone needs it, even if they've disagreed before, even if they won't be recognized for their heroism. We hope it opens people up to sharing their own stories. We're all on a journey, and we hope we can take action to make all our lives better.
HISTORY
The idea for We Heard What Happened began in 2021; we all remember our own personal difficulties, our country's political divisiveness, our world's turmoil. I didn't know what to do to help people who seemed to truly hate each other talk to each other as human beings again. But we all know suffering, don't we? We are all grateful to people who help us through difficulties, regardless of beliefs.
Given my voiceover background and the impact of podcasts during that time, I thought I could lend my skills to a podcast, but it took a while before I determined its goal, structure, title, and branding. Christianne Greiert and Ben Senterfit have been instrumental in helping the podcast take shape; I couldn't have done it without them.
The podcast ended up being connected to my own story: I moved from NYC back to the Hudson Valley after getting married. Two years later, my husband died of a stroke. It was all just too much for me, so I took my baby girl and moved in with my parents. My dad started chemotherapy for Stage 4 lymphoma the next month, and my parents were in and out of Memorial-Sloan Kettering and emergency rooms. Anyone who's been through that knows the psychological toll. I was at rock bottom, but I personally experienced people stepping up who knew me when I was a kid or when my daughter was baptized, knocking on our door and helping us out in practical ways - it meant the world to me. I will be forever grateful to them. Now, I want to help others share their stories of gratitude.
BIO
A heartfelt thank you to Christianne Greiert, Ben Senterfit of Community Music Space, Emily Sachar of The Daily Catch, Matt Zucker of Cidiot, and our guests!