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Preparedness before Crisis

StoryShield, from Their Story is Our Story, is a program that trains immigrant families to create firsthand, phone-based video stories that highlight their community contributions and ties. If you are detained or deported, your story can be used to raise public awareness and rally community support.

The Reality

What families are facing:

  • Detention and deportation can happen suddenly
  • When a crisis happens, there is little time to explain your story
  • Too often, stories are told about families — not by families
  • Fear and misinformation can isolate families when support is most needed

The Insight

Stories can be protective:

  • When stories exist before a crisis, communities can respond faster and with more credibility
  • First-hand narratives humanize families beyond headlines
  • Prepared materials reduce delay when urgent advocacy is needed
  • Personal stories build long-term understanding and support

The Offer

What this program gives families:

  • Safety: Support to create stories without putting families at risk
  • Control: Families decide what is shared, how, and when — always
  • Support: A trusted network that can activate storytelling during crisis

The Process

What participation looks like:

  1. Trusted Introduction: A community connector helps families join safely
  2. Story Preparation: Phone-based tools and culturally-grounded support
  3. Secure Holding: Stories are held securely until families choose to share
  4. Rapid Response: If a crisis happens, support can activate quickly

No deadlines. No pressure. No obligation to go public.

You are always in control:

  • You decide which parts of your story are shared
  • You may remain anonymous at every step
  • Nothing is published without your consent
  • You can pause or withdraw at any time

Your story always belongs to you.

Prepare a Plan in case of detention

Download Our Guide (English) Download Our Guide (Dari) Download Our Guide (Pashto)
Story Shield Workshop Edited

StoryShield is not a legal service.

Questions? Contact Us

What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

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Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.