Our mission
Continue the Story exists to help people and communities who are too often overlooked, misunderstood or underserved feel seen, heard, valued and supported.
A place for what comes next
Every Story Matters.
Every person has a story worth continuing.
We help people and communities who are too often overlooked, misunderstood or underserved feel seen, heard, valued and supported.
01 / Who we are
Different chapters.
The same human value.
Every person has a story. Some chapters are filled with opportunity. Others are shaped by circumstances we never expected.
We began alongside people and families impacted by incarceration, seeing how one difficult chapter could become the label that followed them.
Inmate. Felon. Prisoner.
But behind every label was something much bigger:
A person. A family. A story.
We came to see incarceration is only one circumstance that can cause a story to be overlooked.
Disability can. Hardship can. Loss can. Isolation can.
Continue the Story was never about one circumstance.
It was always about people.
Our mission has grown, but our heart hasn’t changed.
Everyone deserves to be seen, valued, included, and able to continue their story.
It starts with people
Our purpose.
Our vision
A world where every person knows their story matters.
Every Story Matters.02 / What we believe
How we choose
to show up.
01
See the person
A circumstance, diagnosis or mistake never tells someone’s entire story.
02
Listen first
People should have a voice in the programs, resources and decisions intended to serve them.
03
Create belonging
Inclusion means more than being invited. It means being known, valued and given the opportunity to participate.
04
Open doors
We seek to remove barriers and create opportunities that otherwise may not exist.
05
Lead with dignity
We don’t serve above people. We come alongside them.
06
Continue with hope
No difficult chapter has to be the final chapter.
03 / Our work
Three areas.
One mission.
Our work may look different from one person or community to another, but everything we do begins with the same belief: Every Story Matters.
01
Justice & second chances
A difficult chapter doesn’t have to be the final chapter.
People are more than their worst decision.
Incarceration changes lives. It impacts the person serving the sentence, but its effects often reach children, spouses, parents and entire families. Long after a sentence ends, labels and barriers can remain.
We believe accountability and dignity can exist together. We believe people can grow. We believe families matter. We believe second chances matter.
EncouragementReminding people they are seen, valued and not forgotten.
ConnectionStrengthening meaningful connections between people, families and communities.
ResourcesProviding practical resources that support individuals and families.
OpportunitySupporting pathways toward stronger futures and meaningful participation.
02
Ability & belonging
Everyone deserves a place to belong.
Not simply included. Not simply accommodated. Known. Valued. Needed.
Too often, disability is viewed through the lens of limitations. We choose to start somewhere different: with the person. Their personality. Their gifts. Their relationships. Their dreams. Their contribution. Their story.
We work to help create communities where people with disabilities are known, valued and given meaningful opportunities to participate, contribute and belong.
Inclusion opens the door. Belonging gives someone a reason to stay.
03
Community & compassion
No one should face life’s hardest chapters alone.
Life can change without warning. A loss. A financial crisis. A family emergency. A season that suddenly changes everything.
We can’t fix every difficult circumstance. But we can make sure people don’t have to walk through them unseen or alone.
Compassion is more than feeling something. It’s choosing to show up.
The heart of it
We don’t write people’s stories for them.
We help make sure they have the opportunity and support to continue writing their own.
A diagnosis isn’t an entire story.
A mistake isn’t an entire story.
A difficult season isn’t an entire story.
And no circumstance determines a person’s value.
Every Story Matters.
04 / Get involved
Be part of someone’s
next chapter.
You don’t have to change the whole world. Start by changing someone’s experience of it. There are countless ways to make people feel seen, valued and supported.
05 / Give
Your gift helps
continue a story.
Every gift represents something bigger than a donation: Opportunity. Connection. Belonging. Encouragement. Hope.
Your generosity helps Continue the Story create programs, provide resources, build partnerships and respond to opportunities that help people and communities feel seen, valued and supported.
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Keep the story going.
Monthly donors provide consistent support that helps us plan ahead and build sustainable programs.
Continue the Story501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt OrganizationEIN: 81-2955772