Archives: Stories
A legacy story
A legacy story Shared by Nature Sacred Chief Programs Officer, Erin Robertson Nature carries on. Some believe it’s this simple truth that draws people who know they are at the end of their lives to it. Observing deeply the quiet yet astonishing life that surrounds them — and knowing they are a part of this…
A story of resilience — and hope
As shared by original Firesoul Chris Cotten When an EF5 tornado tore through Joplin in an agonizing 38 minutes taking 161 lives, I was there. And yet, it is still incomprehensible — remembering the devastation. I was sifting through rubble and seeing to the injured in the minutes and hours after the storm. In the…
A story of community
A story of community Shared by Firesoul Steven Folks We can’t afford to forget the stories of the generations that came before, passing over this very place into the part of town where they could let their shoulders down. That’s one reason we created a Sacred Place at the entrance to 15th Street in Anniston,…
A Wedding Story
A wedding story As remembered and shared by Firesoul Rev. Paula Teague Our Sacred Place at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center has touched so many lives. Because healing is a core purpose of this space, and it is at a hospital, it’s easy to overlook the moments of pure joy that also happen here. Like…
A birth story
As remembered and shared by Firesoul CeCe Finney When Lauren H. was awaiting her first child, a girl, due during the First Wave of COVID-19, she was to give birth at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. Facing this pandemic and the new protocols that came along with it; Lauren was crushed to learn that her…
The Garden of Reflection and Remembrance
First came 9/11. Then within days, multiple jarring student deaths followed: among them, two sisters whose lives were lost when a tornado struck the University of Maryland’s main campus. Students were frayed; on edge. Marsha Guenzler-Stevens, a university administrator, recognized the intense need for a safe place for students to work through what was happening…
Meridian Hilltop Park
“The most powerful tool on earth is community. When we bring together the natural and human communities, we can do anything.” – Firesoul Steve Coleman Dramatically reclaimed from crime and violence by their Washington, DC communities, Meridian Hilltop Park and the Marvin Gaye Amphitheater in Marvin Gaye Park, today, are anchors of their respective neighborhoods….
Choose Life Memorial Garden
In the days following the death of Freddie Gray in April of 2015, protesters – responding to the injustice – surged into the streets of Baltimore. Expressions of frustration and anger, in some instances, turned violent and destructive. 60 buildings were set ablaze as were 150 vehicles. But Choose Life Memorial Garden, at the crux…
Amazing Port Street
Prior to the 1990s, McElderry Park in Baltimore was a thriving neighborhood. But that decade brought decline —unemployment followed by crime. Much has changed since then. Revitalization is well underway. And one of the brightest and greenest spots of this story of community rebirth is the Sacred Commons, an outdoor space with shared gardens, gardening…
Naval Cemetery Landscape
“Something powerful happens when you bring people into this space. They connect with it, begin to care for it and, over time, take a bit of ownership of it. This is where individuals shift from casual participants to environmental stewards of the space,” — Firesoul Terri Carta Off a busy street in the heart of…
