Nonprofit Launches Project Documenting Stories of Over 700 Marginalized Individuals

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Feb. 1, 2024 - PRLog -- Lantern for Lost Voices (LLV) announces the launch of a project that sheds light on the untold stories behind more than 700 numbered graves in the Hillsborough County Poor Farm Cemetery located in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The project seeks to educate the community on the historical significance and lasting effects of poor farms in nineteenth and twentieth century America. By documenting and sharing the stories of the residents who lived and died there under derogatory historic terms like "idiotic, insane and pauper," this project not only creates a historic record of their lives but also challenges the stigmatization of poverty and mental illness that still persists in our communities today.

"We started this organization to challenge the status quo, to confront our history head on, and change our futures," states Danielle St. Pierre, Co-executive Director and Director of Education. "Our stories are a powerful tool used to understand the intersectionality of all of our identities, to better understand each other and to grow together."

Designed with a commitment to empathy, LLV's free, research-based educational programming offers online and in-person workshops to adult and youth audiences that equip attendees with the tools and techniques needed to research – and understand – the lives of those who lived through difficult periods in history. Participants will also learn how to tell those stories with cultural awareness and sensitivity in order to reveal the humanity of the people they discover.

The launch of this project also signifies LLV's dedication to collaboration and community engagement. The organization is committed to providing resources, research assistance, and support to local organizations also working to uncover the hidden narratives of marginalized individuals in our local history. LLV believes in the power of the next generation and aims to expand its Board of Directors to include a youth board to foster the research and communication skills of young individuals interested in history and genealogy.

To learn more about the project or volunteer in the research and commemoration efforts, contact Danielle St. Pierre at (508) 840-5721 or dstpierre@lanternforlostvoices.org.

About Lantern for Lost Voices:

Lantern for Lost Voices (LLV) is a nonprofit organization committed to uncovering and sharing the stories of marginalized individuals lost to history. Through research-based educational programming and storytelling, LLV challenges stigmas and promotes empathy, awareness and understanding to create positive impacts within local communities. For more information visit www.lanternforlostvoices.org.