Narrative Media has always made a commitment to giving back. We like to work with institutions whose missions we believe in and we’re also fortunate enough to be able to support local philanthropic organizations doing good work in the communities where we live and work.
The majority of our charitable giving goes to organizations dedicated to fighting food insecurity, but we’re also proud to support institutions that align with our values and passions. Here’s a list of where we gave this year. I’ve included links in case you’re interested in learning more or making a contribution to these organizations.
The Food Bank of South Jersey
We’ve given to The Food Bank of South Jersey for as long as I can remember, and this year it feels more important that ever. I can’t imagine what it’s like to not have enough to be able to feed yourself or your family, so we give to help try and solve that problem. The Food Bank of South Jersey exists to provide an immediate solution to the urgent problem of hunger by providing food to people in need, teaching them to eat nutritiously, and helping them to find sustainable ways to improve their lives. Our founder, Andrew Poag, grew up in South Jersey, and we have quite a few clients in the region, so we’re happy to do what we can to offer support.
Family and Community Services of Delaware County
In addition to supporting food pantry’s where we work, we also like to support them where we live. Family and Community Services of Delaware County offers not only food insecurity assistance, but behavioral health & counseling services, community health programs and housing assistance throughout Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Vision to Learn
You may be noticing a trend on basic needs here. How is a child supposed to pay attention, let along learn in class if they can’t see what’s being taught? That’s where Vision to Learn steps in. We learned about this organization through Nicholas Kristof’s column in the New York Times and the idea of it just brought a smile to our faces. Millions of kids across the country do not have the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, or participate in class. Vision to Learn provides vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to children in low-income communities, across the country. But we were especially happy to see that had a big presence in the Philadelphia Metro area which made supporting them a no brainer.
Covenant House
Covenant House provides housing and supportive services to youth facing homelessness. We help young people transform their lives and put them on a path to independence. In fact one of our friends, colleagues and client’s sleeps out every November to raise money and bring awareness and help raise money for to help. We’re happy to contribute each year.
The Arden Theater Company
As a producer of stories, we believe in supporting others who tell them as well. We’ve been patrons of the Arden Theater Company for about a decade and I’m consistently impressed by the quality of the shows they put on, the voices they amplify and the thoughts and new perspectives I’m left to ponder long after the curtain falls. In addition to their work on stage they promote theater programs in schools and offer education and classes to the community.
WXPN
WXPN is on in our office almost every day and we’re happy to support them. It’s not only the day to day programming that makes this a special radio station, but also their special programming. In 2020 they counted down the 2,020 greatest songs ever as voted on by the listening audience, in 2021 they did the same for the 2,021 greatest albums of all time and this month (December 2022) they’re featuring 90’s A to Z, where they’ll be playing songs from the 90’s in alphabetical order. WXPN is something special and unique, I’ve had friends who’ve moved out of the area and told me that there’s nothing else like it in other cities around the country. That’s something that’s worth supporting.