The Giving Garden® Podcast Season 2 Episode 12 with Keren Taylor

Full Transcript of Season 2 Episode 12

Martina Halloran: One of the greatest gifts we can offer another person is the belief that their voice matters. Sometimes all it takes is one person who listens, encourages, and says, your story deserves to be told. Today's guest has built an extraordinary community around that very idea. Keren Taylor is the Founder and Executive Director of WriteGirl, a nonprofit that has been empowering young women and gender expansive youth through creative writing and mentorship for more than two decades. What began as a vision to connect professional women writers with teenage girls has grown into a nationally recognized organization that has helped thousands of young people discover not only their voices, but their confidence, their purpose, and their sense of belonging.

In this conversation, we'll explore what inspired Keren to start WriteGirl, how mentorship can change the course of a life, and why creating spaces where young people feel seen and heard has never been more important. We'll also talk about reaching communities that have historically been underserved, the ripple effect of investing in the next generation, and the many ways each of us can make a difference. Keren, welcome to The Giving Garden podcast. Thank you. You are most welcome.

So what inspired you? Just the basic question. What inspired you to create WriteGirl?

Keren Taylor: it was a few months after nine eleven. And that isn't an accident looking back, right? It was one of those times when a lot of us wanted to do work of purpose, wanting to find more meaning in our everyday activities. And I knew for me, when I was in college, I had wanted to make a difference in the world. And I saw that the world of international relations was run by men. And I felt at that time, I wasn't willing to put up that fight and try to make a pathway for women in political science internationally. So I turned away, went towards my creativity for a few years. And then when this happened after nine eleven, I thought, you know, I've just been laid off my advertising job, some downsizing, and I can do whatever I want right now. So what compelled me to start it was really thinking about my love of writing and my love of how writing helped me develop my own voice. And I gathered together as many of my friends as I could that were writers, reached out on a listserv for more writers, gathered a group of women together, and we launched WriteGirl within one month. Wow. People really responded to the idea that they were writers, and there was no place for them to volunteer to help inspire teens to write. So it was a very good marriage of women who had a skill of really knowing how to be creative and work their writing skills, wanting to give back to the community specifically with their writing skills.

Martina Halloran: I love that, that literally within four weeks, within a month, this was launched and up and running. That just speaks to the passion and the real desire to lean into communities to make a difference. So when you first launched WriteGirl, what did you hope the organization would make possible for young women?

Keren Taylor: I think from the beginning, how do we get a spark into teen girls that maybe don't want to write? Typically, teens get to that high school age, they're like, I don't want to write. I don't want to write an essay. It's so boring. I have nothing to say. I have no stories to tell. This is stupid. You know, that's kind of the voice that I think a lot of teens enter high school with. So we were like, how can we change that? How can we help teens see that there's power in their stories? There's power in their voice? The world will open to them if they could learn how to really express their ideas, bring their passion forward in whatever way they want to be. So I think we were hoping that this would inspire teens to come out of their shell, get out of their hidden places of not expressing themselves except to their friends, you know, in private, and see if we could build more confidence and forward motion in teen girls through writing.

Martina Halloran: Writing and speaking and engaging with people can also be really vulnerable. I often think about that when I just look back at my son's teen years and all of his friends. And there is a sense of vulnerability when you're exposing yourself, when you're sharing something that's meaningful and powerful to you, how will the world respond? So I think sometimes young people take a step back because they're afraid of, you know, the world that we live in today, especially. We're in social media. Everybody has an opinion in six seconds flat and people come to the table being really honest and really authentic with their thoughts and their ideas. And sometimes the world is like knocking them down before it ever gets started. So sounds like you've created this safe space of mentorship. A lot of people have this idea of giving and it's just like one thing. But do you believe mentorship is a form of giving? And what makes that mentor mentee relationship so powerful in a reciprocal way? Because I don't think mentorship is one way. I think it's a two way relationship.

Keren Taylor: Oh, it most certainly is. I think we I mean, for sure, mentoring is a form of giving. All volunteering is a form of giving too. But I think mentoring takes it just a step further because it is such a commitment of time to a one on one relationship. It is a vulnerable relationship too. And we sort of really work with our mentors to train them to be patient. It takes time to build trust. You know, if we don't know somebody, you're not going to open up immediately. So there's a lot to learn in that giving. We have a lot of women writers that come initially, you know, give me a teen girl, I'm ready to go, I'm ready to be a mentor. And then we find that we have to really sort of slow them down a little bit, take them through the mental steps of what this might be like, and some of the barriers they might face, and some of the things that the teens are facing to be a little bit more cautious and patient with what may unfold.

Martina Halloran: What I love about mentorship, especially for people who have been mentored, I've been mentored in the past. And I think it does help you give a little bit of perspective that you're not trying to make or create individuals in your reflection. You're helping build the foundation where they're finding themselves and their strengths and their places where they want to lean in, which may be very different than the mentor. Right? It's a very interesting dynamic. And having been on both sides of it, I see how it does take time. It does take trust. It does take it takes an open heart. Really takes this idea of openness. Have you ever been in a situation where something, you know, has evolved through your work that you've said, uh-huh, I get it. Like, that's what mentorship is.

Keren Taylor: So many things. I'm not sure that there's one. Right? I think what you said earlier about being patient, letting it be a two way street, seeing what will come from each person, I think in a way that is the moment for me. Mentoring isn't about the mentors learning how to teach a certain thing and then teaching it. The mentorship is about being open to what is going to happen because every individual is different. Every teen is different. Every mentor is different. And if they come with this sort of an openness to let's explore what could happen, let's find out our strengths, let's find out our passions, Let's figure out what works for us, even schedule, even timing, even whether it's video or phone or in person. Let's figure this out together so that we can have a really powerful, fruitful relationship for both of us. So I think in some ways, that's the thing for me is that there is no one size fits all. And then there isn't some handbook you can give a mentor, which is why we do ongoing training and support. Because every day, there's a new one. Somebody reaches out to us and said, my teen, you know, hasn't responded in a few weeks, blah, blah, blah. We puzzle it through. What do we know about the teen's life, their parents, their school situation, their past writing, their past mentors? How can we look at this situation as its own unique one and figure out what the next best step would be?

Martina Halloran: But there's no one way. I love that. And I think what you said was so important that especially in communities that are traditionally underserved, especially with within communities of color, there are so many nuances. I come from a Mexican American lens, so the cultural social nuances are unique and different and special to all cultures. Right? And when young women are coming to a space of vulnerability and sharing and opening and inviting, they also have all of these other aspects of their life that are contributing to how they arrived to you or how they show up each and every day. And the idea that you, as well as your mentors, are very open to understanding these are whole human beings. Right? We're just not here for writing. We're here to understand how do we take somebody on their writing journey? How do we help them find a voice? But understanding there's all these other factors in their life, which for some of them are very positive and some of them are probably very challenging. So do you have other services within your organization, especially when you meet a young person that is dealing with a lot of things that may be layered, and they're showing up to WriteGirl with some challenges that may not be about writing?

Keren Taylor: Yeah, I mean, we always try to keep the focus back on writing because that is our expertise. But by doing that, you can address all of the other things that are going on. I mean, of course, if there's anything really serious, we are mandatory reporters, we will bring it forward to the right person or organization that can help. And we always extend additional resources beyond what we offer if we see that there's a need. But I think there's a lot that can be addressed through the power of writing. And that's one of the things we always talk to the mentors about is how can you bring back that situation that they're showing or talking about or hinting at? And how can you bring it into writing? So where they could write a monologue from the point of view of that bully or write a story that talks about that thing that they can't have. So I think that writing has tremendous power to be able to address some of those things instead of coming at them head on, because that's what a teen runs from. Don't talk to me about my issues. Don't talk to me about my problems. It's too much for me to actually address it directly. But through a poem, through playfulness of writing 10 ideas down of things that are really bugging you and then throwing them in the garbage. That's like one of our activities that we do sometimes. And it's awfully fun to just write it down, get it out, and then literally throw it away. You know, that is so powerful for a young person. They never have given permission to do such a thing.

Martina Halloran: Right? What I love about that is that if I'm hearing it, it feels like there's this sense of ownership. Like this is a space. If I'm writing a poem or if I'm writing a journal entry or if I'm writing the 10 things that are just really driving me crazy and I can crumple them up and throw away, there's a little bit of control. I think that sometimes young people feel so many things are out of their control, especially the world that we're in today. There's so many things happening that are just beyond any of our control, to be honest with you. Absolutely. Let alone a young person who's still growing, who's still developing, who still has this space for purpose in this space for pain, I think the ability to own some of that through writing can be really powerful. And I love the fact that you see it as a vehicle. I just see writing as this almost like you get on the highway, and there's, like, six lanes. And which lane do I wanna be in today? Am I in a very thoughtful lane, or am I a joyful lane? And all of that can be expressed through writing.

Keren Taylor: Do I want to walk? Do I want to take a skateboard? Right? Like, do I need to be in a car? Right? Like, expand our options for them. I think also two things. One is we do this activity, which is circles of control. It gets two circles. One is things I can control, and then a larger circle, things I don't control. And we have the teens really think about those because that is so valuable in itself to say, Oh, yeah, you know, my schedule is not something I totally control at this time. My parents tell me things, my school tells me things. So, that is not totally within my control. But how I think about it, how I feel about it is. Right? That's in my control. 

Martina Halloran: That's an incredible life skill. Because when you said that, I think about you know, I often say to the team here at Doctor. Hauschka, control what we can control. Don't worry about the rest. Don't worry about the rest in the sense of, I can't affect that. Those are things you know, tariffs are beyond our control. Right? So we can't we know we have to operate within that financial spectrum, But how much resource, mental resource do we wanna give to an issue that we really can't affect because it's beyond our control? And that's a great life lesson. 

Keren Taylor: It is. It really is. And then I think the other thing that we really love to lean into is something that you're doing here in this interview, which is if you're going to be a mentor, you need to share something about yourself as well. You can't come as a blank slate and pretend that you're not coming with all your own cultural background, your own life experiences, your own biases. So, we have identity activities helping the teen to share what she's willing to share about her identity and the mentor sharing. So, even if they come from different backgrounds, they start sharing some of those things that make them who they are, and give them a little bit of an opportunity to then grow and trust and build a relationship. 

Martina Halloran: I love that because that's also a life skill. I often think of young people. And, yes, we do rote things in school, and we're teaching math, and we're teaching formulaic things. But I think what you said was so important because you're creating the conversation in the space for a bridge. People can be very different, very disparate, very maybe you wouldn't even engage with this person out in the real world. But now you're in a situation, especially if it's a work environment, your coworker to your right or to your left is completely different than the space you come from. And to have a little bit of that vulnerability because sharing things, big or small or somewhere in between, is really vulnerable for anybody at any age. But I do think that vulnerability creates a bridge to conversation. 

Keren Taylor: And you know, you're so right about the vulnerability piece, because I mean, it's scary for all of us to share personal things about ourselves with others, especially if you don't know how they're going to land, how they're going to judge or what they might think about it. And none of us want anybody to think badly of us. It's a very natural thing. But I think when you can give young people and adults safe ways to express some of themselves in a judgment free environment, it can grow over time. They start feeling more safe, more relaxed, to be able to share more and open them up. But it is a very gradual process. It's not like you can just tell someone, be vulnerable, share what's going on in your world. And teens especially, we joke that they're like dolphins. You need to swim alongside them and not .

Martina Halloran: In the eye. Right? I love that. I love that. Well, you know, being vulnerable is not easy. However, it can be incredibly freeing. And you talk about this kind of timeline of trust and conversation and communication. When we started The Giving Garden in 2018, it was we're gonna do this for farmers at heart. We're gonna do this Giving Garden, and we're really gonna help with food access. And my team, who is so incredible here at Dr. Hauschka, I'm so fortunate that when I say how high is high, everybody says how high is high. Like, what else can we do? But nobody really asked me the why. And then when we decided that we wanted to be able to reach more people doing good in the world and giving in their own unique way, And we talked about a podcast. We had some internal conversations, and they were like, we really need to talk about the why. And I think one person on the team knew. And I said, well, the why for The Giving Garden and why food access and access to reliable, healthy food sources is so near and dear to my heart is because I grew up in a food insecure household. I received free lunch when free lunch was a stigma. And I had been carrying that. I didn't realize I had been carrying that for years. I work in an industry where people look a certain way. They act a certain way. It's it's a little bit of beauty. It's a little bit of wellness. It's a little bit of health. And it was almost like I took off this backpack that had, like, rocks in it, pounds and pounds, and I just put it to the side. And it was like, this is my story. This is who I am. It doesn't change my capabilities. It doesn't change what I've accomplished. It doesn't change what I could possibly do in the future. It's part of my story that has created a passion point of entry for me into doing good in the world that resonates with me. Some people great. It's really great to hear your story. So when I was talking with you a few years back for International Women's Day, they still hadn't known the why. And I think when I look back, wow. I should have trusted everybody from the start. But trust is like nature. There's a reciprocity of what you're putting in, you're getting back and where you feel comfortable. But it can create a space for you to be completely unburdened when you have that relationship with somebody that you can really trust. And I have the feeling that some of the people in your group, the young people, the mentors they have are probably one of the very few people they can trust in their life. 

Keren Taylor: Oh, without a doubt, some of our teens actually say that to us. They say, Are you being paid to be here? They ask their mentor because they're confused about why this person is putting so much time and effort and energy into their life without really having compensation per se. 

Martina Halloran: Or an expectation of something in return. 

Keren Taylor: Yes, exactly. Exactly. But they're really hungry for it also. And we've got a big waiting list of teens who want mentors because more and more our teens, we do group workshops also, where they have the opportunity to work in a larger group environment, small group environment, but they're really craving the one on one mentors. And I think it's a developmental stage as a teen where your fear is less when it's just one other person. 

Martina Halloran: Yes. Oh my gosh. Yes. 

Keren Taylor: And then the group becomes more tolerable and more exciting because you've got the safety. You go to the workshop with your mentor. So you have an anchor, you know, you have somebody that's there in your corner, as you explore a bigger group where you have to come out of your shell and be more vulnerable again in a different environment. But I think that vulnerability is something that teens sort of almost want to avoid, right? Because it's just too much and it's too scary and everything. And they work really hard at looking good, looking confident, feeling like they know it all. And they often will start by writing very broad general themes that don't include some of their origin stories or things that really make them tick. So that's a big part of our work is helping people feel safe to be able to share some vulnerable things that have happened to them or that have brought them to where they are at this point in life. And let them see that it won't be the end of their life if they share those stories. In fact, it's the beginning of a new era. 

Martina Halloran: It's the beginning. I think it's the beginning of a full life when you think about it. I loved the fact that you used this analogy of an anchor. I think everybody needs an anchor. Everybody wants to feel like they're on solid ground no matter what stage they are in their life, young people, adults. And I think having anchors, one, create safe havens. Like you're in this space where I'm grounded, somebody's got me. But I also think it creates this space as they start their vulnerability journey. And when I look at that from a professional experience, vulnerability is not usually rewarded in in the world. Right? Being seen as vulnerable is too often aligned of being weak. And this incredible author, I'm sure you've heard of her, Brene Brown. 

Keren Taylor: Yes. Of course. 

Martina Halloran: Epic. And she really talks about this idea of being vulnerable and this this authenticity. And I hope that your ability to anchor some of these young people in a way that they step out into their fullness in life and knowing that vulnerability is part of life. Right? Vulnerability is where that richness kind of lives. Yeah. It's also our unique stories. Because I think these are all life skills that you're talking about. 

Keren Taylor: Oh, they are. 

Martina Halloran: Incredibly solid are these young people gonna be stepping into life? Because creating vulnerability now will allow somebody who goes off to college or a trade school or their first job to advocate for themselves and to speak up to say, you know what? Somebody's giving them a schedule that is just unmanageable. These are the three things I can do. These are the two things I've put on the we'll get to list. But giving them the space of developing this voice in life, I think, is just incredible. 

Keren Taylor: Well, it's also adaptability. You know? You talk your origin story, but I know that's not the whole story. That's not all of the story, right? So, that's also important so that teens feel like they don't have to get locked down by their one origin story. That's just part of who they are. But there's, for me, my father shut down my voice. That is part of my story, right? He didn't want to hear a young girl talking at dinner, telling my opinions. So that was a part of my story that I had a lid on my voice and my creativity as a teen. It isn't everything, right? It is a whole reason why I started WriteGirl, but it's a piece of it. Me not being able to really pursue a career in international relations because I felt like it was all men in that field. That's another piece of it for me. Having a mother who was really passionate about giving me the opportunity to really pursue my dreams was another part of it for me, right? Her voice still sits with me like you can do anything you want, you just have to go for it. It's just there. It's not an affirmation. It's her voice So, in my are all part of my origin story, part of my why of why I started WriteGirl, well as the need for community. I wanted to create a community that I wanted to be part of. I was frustrated that I couldn't find community in Los Angeles. So, was like, well, let me make one. Let me find people that are like minded, that have the same passion as I do for writing and speaking. So, all of those things bring me to where I am and bring me to what has driven me to create WriteGirl. But it isn't one thing. And I think that's also so important because teens get this pressure of writing the best thing that ever happened, the worst thing that ever happened, these superlatives that they have to somehow define their life by this one good thing or bad thing. And that is not it. We are way more nuanced than that. We have so many things that have influenced where we are today and so many things that will continue to influence you. This conversation right now for me might be the catalyst for something else that I'm going to do or that you're going to do, right? But it's not new. This is now. This is new in a way if we're open to it. So I think just keeping that idea that you are encouraging both teens and mentors to be open to see their own evolution in real time and not lock them down in some story that has to be their story forever. 

Martina Halloran: Because we're nuanced as human beings. We're nuanced. And I love this because often people, I think young adults and full grown adults, think that one thing is their story, is their defining moment. And with the world that we live in, if you make one misstep on the Internet, and then it's cancel culture, and then everybody's judging you, but we're perfectly imperfect. Right? We're human beings, and we're authentic. I often do come back to nature because look at nature. Mother nature is powerful. She's incredible. She's nuanced. She's rhythmic. She's on beat. She's offbeat. And there are so many different elements to what's happening in nature. It's the same with human beings. There's so many different aspects to us. And I think helping young people understand, there is no one defining moment in your life. There may be something that creates your why and pushes you forward. Right. But it's like that one thing that you think you're never gonna live down in high school or that one thing that didn't go your way, so your life is ruined. And this idea of adaptability and being able to thrive no matter where you're going, whether it's college or a job or a trade school, you're trying to create space for yourself. Learning some of these skills allows you to create space for yourself as you step into what we call the real world. You know, you're moving from young adulthood to full adulthood, and the ability to create space for yourself because you're a nuanced being, and that space is your community. And they love that. You were looking for community, and we're such a community at Dr. Hauschka. And I think so many people today are looking for community. They're looking for authenticity. They're looking for all of the things that you're doing at WriteGirl. They're looking for mentorship. They're looking for a moment in time to feel safe, to feel good, to feel vulnerable, to feel honest. And writing keeps you honest in a very interesting way because you could write whatever you want. Right? It's just the same thing. People could say whatever they want. But sometimes I think in those really quiet, reflective moments when you're just writing, it's almost like the space that keeps pushing you to say it's okay to be completely honest. It's okay to be vulnerable. It's okay because you don't have to show anybody the piece of paper. You really don't. If you don't want to, you can crumple it up and throw it away like you're 10. What's not so good? 

Keren Taylor: Totally. And I think it does give you a chance to redefine yourself. We do some work with teens who are incarcerated, and they have a right to put that part of their lives behind them forever and not let it be their definition. Should they choose to and say, this is a defining time for me, I'm going to carry this forward. And this origin story is going to mean something for me. That's their choice too. But, you know, we all have a right to redefine who we are, we how do it, who we do it with, what we really are about. Our childhood doesn't have to be our story, especially if it was a difficult childhood. You know, if you want to embrace it and bring it forward, that's up to you. But one of our mentors had written several memoirs. And it really stopped me in my tracks because I always thought, well, a memoir is a book that you write about what happened in your life, period, like one book, you know. But what she was talking about was there was this experience I had when I was doing this in my life, then there was this thing that happened with a relationship. And it was this defining part of my life. She wrote different books about those chapters of her life, because they had a lot of richness and depth. But she was also able to, in some ways then almost put them behind her. There was this chapter. 

Martina Halloran: There was this book, there was this book that happened to me. And it really was powerful for me to see how we all have so many different stories to tell. I love that from the perspective of these young people, that each situation or each time in your life is a chapter. It begins and it ends, especially if it's not a good one. Right? Or it's one with strife or struggle, and you're just hoping for it to end, that you can start a new chapter. And I love this language that you're using about redefining yourself because I think we own that. The world does not have to define you if you don't let it. And one of the things that I love is about we're the writers of our own story. And what we choose to put out there can be really powerful, and it can be also very freeing. And I love the fact that young people are finding their voice and they're finding this sense of confidence. I can only imagine what somebody may appear to be or come in, how they're carrying themselves on day one versus fast forward maybe six or twelve months later. I'm sure you've seen some of that evolution in that like a butterfly almost. Almost all the time, honestly. I know there's not really one story that I have.

Keren Taylor:  I have so many of teens that sort of enter the room at a workshop, really withdrawn, really nervous, not making eye contact, sort of why am I here? Maybe their mother encouraged them or their teacher encouraged them, and they're sort of half in the door and half out the door. And then, you know, even by the end of one workshop, sometimes we'll see a teen like leap to their feet to get on the microphone to share some piece of writing because they just got so excited. You know, they got Love that. Feeling of like, I wrote something that's really different and it's me and it's either angry or funny or it's sentimental or reflective. It can be anything. And I think that's also powerful because teens sometimes get this feeling like, just tell me what I'm supposed to do. Tell me if I'm supposed to be funny or tell me if I'm supposed to be philosophical. Like, just tell me and then I'll do it. You know, it's like this. I want the instruction manual to what I'm supposed to be like and what I'm supposed to write. And what we do is sort of strip that away and go, well, you could write this or this or this. What do you want to do? And now give them that agency where they have to start making decisions about what they do care about, what they are passionate about. And it's not what you think sometimes. We had a team get on a microphone; we have a moment we call our soapbox moment. And you can get on the mic for thirty seconds and say whatever you want. It's ranting or raving about anything literally. 

Martina Halloran: Love that. We should do that here. 

Keren Taylor: It's super fun. And they're really scared at first to do it. And then the line starts going around the room as they see how freeing it is to just get up there. And you think, oh, they're going to talk about their parents or family or school. And, you know, a girl gets up and she rants about mustard of all things, like all the things she hates about mustard. And then the next teen gets up and she's raving about her mentor who's really helped her. Or she's talking about her best friend that really made a difference in her life. And the contrast of the highs and lows, the little things, the big things all start percolating. You can see the teens all start thinking, what else is ordinary in my life that drives me nuts? What is also powerful in my life that has really lifted me up? They all start asking these questions of themselves. 

Martina Halloran: Which is incredible. I think you said a couple of things that that are so important. One, eye contact. It's almost force. You're with a mentor, you could either look down at the table or look up. And I also think that's life skills because so many of young people are stuck in technology today, and it's hard for them. They're really not comfortable. They're not comfortable even having a phone conversation because they're texting. Right. And then and then so much is prescribed. This is what success looks like. This is what enough looks like. And I love the fact of this idea of agency because agency allows you to determine what does success look like on my own terms? What is enough? And when I mean enough, it's like everybody has the best house, the best car, the best shoes, the best bags. These moments in time on social media can be really difficult for young people. And I think this idea that you have agency over more than you think you do, especially these ideas in your head. What are you giving attention to? What are you thinking about? What excites you? What annoys you? It's okay. But I think stepping away into a real pen and paper dynamic is so incredible for young people today and trying to move them away from what they're just seeing on the screen because it's not authentic in many ways. Some of it's real. Some people get up there, and they just pour their hearts out, and they are who they are. But a lot of times, somebody's taped a video 600 times, and they've perfected it, and they've added this filter and that body shape or and this and that. And I think, how do young people even understand what is real? And, also, what's real in life? What's a real job? Everybody looks like their job is, you know, I I work three hours a week, and I make all this money, and I live in a mansion, which is not realistic. And I think what you're doing helps create perspective of agency and what is it that I am determining is successful for myself versus what I'm being fed? 

Keren Taylor: Well, I mean, I'm getting really emotional listening to you talk about what it is for teens to be stuck on social media and technology because I feel like for their future, it is so important to be able to have a conversation with people, to be able to be responsive. You know, job interview is a conversation with another human being, a conversation where you in a relationship, everything really is about relationship in the real world. That is the foundation of life. You learn it more the older you get, You start to just value your personal friendships, family relationships more and more deeply because they are the lasting qualities of being alive, you know. But we see teens coming with expressionless faces because they don't have to on social media, an inability to really have a spontaneous conversation because they're struggling because they, you know, just don't have the skills and the experience. They're terrified of networking. Do not ask a teen to go to a networking event where they have to meet new people and sort of introduce themselves. So, do some work on how to do a quick introduction about yourself and practice it, get into that. But I mean, everything we're doing at WriteGirl is about helping teens feel more comfortable in expressing themselves verbally and in writing. I wish I could reach through the screen and just grab them all and bring them into WriteGirl so that they'd have the opportunity to see how incredible those skills can be in sort of changing the dynamic of their entire lives. Mhmm. You're not gonna be behind a screen your whole life. That's just a part of it. You know? 

Martina Halloran: I think that societally, we're, like, stuck in this place. It's not just these young people emerging into young adulthood. You know, I do see that in in the workforce with people 30. They were this tech generation, and god bless them. And they're uncomfortable in meetings. We are not a meeting heavy organization, but we believe in community and really talking in person, ideating in person, brainstorming in person. And it's really hard. They're amazing when they're on teams. Right? Right. But then you put them in a room sometimes, you could just see them coming unglued. And my heart breaks a little bit because those are the moments where you really can flourish, and your best ideas come because somebody has said one thing and somebody else has said another thing. And I think what you're doing with WriteGirl is just incredible in terms of life skills. You've said so many things that are really talking about helping create this space of realistic life skills and how somebody can really step into the world and also build community. Because community is built on relationships. Right? If you if you can't articulate and you can't share that language skill and I and I mean language skill, and I mean, like, that social emotional kind of intelligence that tends to go away with screen time. Right? People start to lose that because you're dealing with somebody who you don't know what to expect. You may introduce yourself, and they may be like, oh my gosh. It's so great to meet you. And I've been in places where I've introduced myself, and it's just they look at me like, what are you doing here? And the ability to develop a little bit of resilience and adaptability, you used that word earlier, that adaptability in real life is so critical. If you want to be it's not just about success. I think if you want to live fully and deeply and richly. 

Keren Taylor: Definitely. I 100% agree. And, you know, I think at the heart of it, WriteGirl has always been about writing, but it really is about life skills. And I almost think it's about confidence more than anything. Because without confidence, you are really going to struggle in so many ways. And it's not like you ever let go of being nervous or fearful. I mean, I feel it all the time. But you develop sort of strategies for how to go through it, how to get past it, how to put it behind you, how to diminish it. Right? And those are things that you can't learn just by reading them. You have to be in a room and do them with people. 

Martina Halloran: Do you practice some confidence building exercises?  

Keren Taylor: Well, yes, but through actually doing it like soapbox itself, Because right? Now you've had the chance to express yourself in front of a room who heard you, received you, applauded you. And we encourage the applause not just for whether it was a good idea or a good soapbox, but applause for doing it. So getting up there, but that feeling of like, okay, I didn't die. I spoke to people, and I'm still here. And it was okay. That's confidence building, you know, and same thing even in the individual setting, I read a piece that I just wrote to my mentor, and I got some positive feedback for it. Okay, okay, I have something to say. Ah, I'm still here. I can do this. So I think it's about giving young people opportunities to really feel confidence instead of telling them how to build confidence. 

Martina Halloran: Yeah. Well, because the Internet, again and I love the Internet. I mean Yeah. It's so readily available if you don't know something. It's like you Google it versus really experiencing it and learning it through actually doing. You know, everybody can watch a video and be shown how to do something. But I think that dynamic of really experiencing something with somebody who has a little bit of seasoning, somebody who's maybe done it before. I love the idea of nerves. Nerves never go away. I think they're a good thing. And I've always said to my team, when that nervous piece means we care. Right? If we didn't care, we wouldn't be nervous. Right? So That's exactly right. Feel that. And I hope young people feel that as they continue to get older because that is a sign that your body is saying, I still care. I care about this. 

Keren Taylor: Very true. That's a great way of expressing that.

Martina Halloran:  That's so true. So WriteGirl reaches out and builds trust with young people and communities of color in historically underserved neighborhoods. How do people in the communities hear about you, learn about you, come to your space? 

Keren Taylor: I think it's a lot of ways, but what we're always looking at is who are the people that are influencing those young people, you know? So we're often talking to teachers, counselors, parents, therapists, probation officers, who are the people that have young people in their domain that really would benefit from this, that would really need this, what we offer here. So, I think we're always sort of promoting the program to those people who help us reach teens who need this the most. But we're very open also because how great is it to have a community where teens, some of them find their way to us because they found us on the internet, or a friend told them about us. And I love that it really crosses a lot of groups. It's a very diverse group of teens that are involved in WriteGirl. So I love that too because that's rare. 

Martina Halloran: Yeah. I think it's very rare. It's usually like especially in community building, I love the fact that your community is diverse and you're dealing with different populations. It's powerful and it's a testament to you. A lot of people, especially in communities of color, they discount incarcerated people. And I think it's such a incredible testament to your desire to provide everybody and anybody who has this desire for agency, for skills, for writing, for vulnerability to participate. So how many mentors do you have in all of this? Because this it's obviously, it takes a village. 

Keren Taylor: It does take a village. Well, we've grown a lot. We started with 30 women back in 2001, and 30 teens. And now we've grown where we have around 400 mentors. And we work with 1,000 young people. So not all of them have a mentor, obviously, and most of them are in the Los Angeles area. But we've grown to work with teens across The US. And in the last few years, it's been really exciting to work with teens in Nigeria, in Uganda, Cameroon, Belize, and most recently in Afghanistan. 

Martina Halloran: That is incredible. So this idea, seed, I love this, the seed of kindness, the  seed of intention was planted. 

Keren Taylor: Yes. It was. You're right. 

Martina Halloran: It's grown so much. So that brings me back to people are often asking me. So I always like to ask people I have these incredible conversations with. Where to begin? People often think giving is such a huge monumental thing, if you will, and that it has to be grand. It has to be big. I don't believe that. I think giving can come in all shapes, forms, big, small, medium, everything in between. But for someone listening who wants to make a difference, particularly in a young person's life, but doesn't know where to begin, what could you offer them? How could you encourage them? 

Keren Taylor: I always believe it's about following your passion. So if you're passionate about the oceans, there's ways to volunteer or to give. If you're passionate about young people and their development, there are organizations in places. I think it's harder. I did some volunteering as a teenager, and I worked with some populations that wasn't a fit for me. I wasn't comfortable. I didn't feel purposeful. I felt sad. I felt that I didn't know how to contribute to that. So I turned away from it and thought, well, maybe I'm not meant to work with terminally ill children. Like that was too much for me. It wasn't something that I felt like I could really make a difference at. So, I am so grateful for anybody who does work in fields that I don't because we can't do it all. What is your individual calling? You know, and what's connected to you in your own community? You know, like, so terrific to see parents helping at a school, helping with the community garden, helping at your local beach, at your local community center or women's shelter. 

Martina Halloran: I love what you said about purpose. And I think, honestly, for me, when people ask me, that's the first place I come from. Where do you find purpose and what feels natural to you? And that often can set somebody on the right direction for finding the right partnership. But if somebody wanted to specifically support WriteGirl or get involved with WriteGirl, what are some of the things that you offer within the community for somebody to engage at different levels? 

Keren Taylor: Well, I think our first step is, you know, reaching out to us online to let us know you'd like to volunteer because we do have many ways to volunteer. We have mentors, of course, that work one on one with a team every week. We have some mentors that are project mentors, so they just help a team through a little phase or period or project. So it's a much smaller commitment, but still really important. Then we have support volunteers that help behind the scenes with our workshops and events and logistics and communications and marketing. So, there's lots of different ways for people to get involved depending on their experience and interest. So, that's one way. We also, of course, are always grateful for any financial donations. Us nonprofits, that's what we run on to thrive. Be able to do what we do is the generosity of individuals, companies, foundations. So, we're always so grateful for those kinds of contributions, and they make a difference. So, even if you don't have the time to be a volunteer or a mentor, those financial contributions are critical. So we're very grateful for people to support in that way. And then being an advocate. 

Martina Halloran: Sometimes advocacy is the simplest, easiest first step of just sharing an organization with somebody in your circle, sharing an organization with somebody in your community, and just giving another voice to a group or an organization can help take it to the next level. 

Keren Taylor: A 100%. 

Martina Halloran: Keren, thank you so much for joining me today. Listening to your story is a beautiful reminder that when we help someone find their voice, we're doing so much more than teaching a skill. We're nurturing confidence, creating connection, and opening doors that can change the trajectory of a life. I love that WriteGirl isn't just building better writers. It's helping young people believe that their stories matter, that their perspectives have value, and that they belong. Those are gifts that extend far beyond the page. Keren reminds us that giving isn't always about financial support. Sometimes it's sharing our time, our experience, our encouragement, or simply believing in someone before they believe in themselves. If today's conversation inspired you, I encourage you to learn more about WriteGirl by visiting writegirl.org. Whether you become a mentor, volunteer your time, make a donation, or simply help spread the word, every act of generosity helps create opportunities for the next generation of storytellers and leaders. Thank you for gathering with us today, for listening with an open heart, and for being part of this growing circle of care. Until next time, may the seeds you plant through kindness continue to grow. Thank you for listening to The Giving Garden Podcast. I hope you're leaving inspired because even the smallest act can spark positive change. If you've enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share. The Giving Garden Podcast is produced by Edwin Batista and edited by Steven West. A special thanks to Helen Polosi for her guidance and generosity. The Giving Garden podcast is brought to you by Dr. Hauschka Skincare USA, pioneers in natural skincare for over fifty years in home to the Giving Garden loyalty program. Visit drhauschka.com to learn more.