Call for Nominations: Sharing the Stories That Shape Our Community

Every city is filled with quiet stories—stories of resilience, heartbreak, survival, courage, or small acts of hope that keep people going when life gets heavy. Most of these stories never get heard. They live behind closed doors, inside hospital rooms, in the hearts of people who are doing their best to make it through another day.

At Tenacious Empathy, we believe that stories are more than memories or moments. Stories are medicine. They build bridges. They remind us that compassion is not an abstract concept—it’s a collective act. When one person speaks their truth, someone else recognizes themselves inside it. A ripple begins.

Today, we’re opening the door for one of those ripples.

Why We’re Calling for Nominations

This call is not about money.This call is not a sweepstakes or a financial giveaway.

What we are offering is something deeper:a chance for someone to share their story with dignity, visibility, and support.

We want to highlight real people in Columbus and the surrounding communities who are facing challenges, carrying heavy emotional loads, or living through experiences that deserve to be witnessed. Sometimes the greatest gift is simply being seen—being acknowledged—and knowing that your story matters.

By inviting nominations, we’re saying:

“Your struggle deserves space.Your voice deserves volume.Your journey deserves compassion.”

Who Can Be Nominated?

Anyone in Columbus or the surrounding areas who:

• Is navigating hardship, crisis, or transition

• Has a powerful story of resilience or hope

• Needs a platform to share what they’ve been carrying

• Could benefit from having their experience honored and heard

This could be a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, a family member—or even someone whose story you’ve held onto quietly, wishing they had a way to express it.

What This Opportunity Is

✔️ A chance for someone’s story to be recorded, uplifted, and shared✔️ A platform where they are met with empathy, not judgment✔️ A space to turn pain, courage, or experience into connection✔️ A ripple that might inspire others who are walking similar paths

What This Is Not

✘ This is not a financial assistance program✘ This is not a contest or giveaway ✘ This is not a promise of services or funding

Tenacious Empathy is offering visibility, witness, emotional support, and storytelling space—nothing more, and nothing less. Sometimes the most transformative impact begins with being truly heard.

Why It Matters

Columbus is full of stories that could change the way we treat one another. But stories only change communities when we make space for them.

When someone speaks their truth, the weight they’ve been carrying shifts.When the community listens, empathy becomes action.And when empathy becomes action, we create ripples that reach farther than we ever expected.

Your nomination could be the beginning of one of those ripples.

How to Nominate Someone

If someone comes to mind, you can submit a nomination by sharing:

• Their name

• A short description of their situation

• Why you feel their story deserves to be heard

• A way to contact them (if possible)

Once you send in a nomination, we’ll reach out with care and respect to see if that person would like to participate.

Here's My Nomination!

Thank You for Choosing Empathy

You are part of this community. You are part of this ripple.Thank you for lifting up someone’s voice.Thank you for believing that stories matter.Thank you for helping compassion grow in Columbus—one human being at a time.