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THE PROJECT
Alone-Together.org provides a way for young adults to give voice to their personal struggles and methods of resilience in the form of open letters. THE NAME
"Alone-Together" was formed when a brilliant contributor offered this poignant quote by Tennessee Williams: “When so many are lonely as seem to be lonely, it would be inexcusably selfish to be lonely alone.” |
OUR GOALS
- To help visitors realize that they are not alone. - To inspire hope and confidence in those struggling, that they can make it through tough times, with help. - To relate powerful and uplifting stories of resiliency. - To encouraged individuals to reach out for help, and on behalf of others who cannot reach out for themselves. - To allow young adults to speak for themselves, to explain their struggles, pressures, and anxieties openly, and to explain how they made it through tough times. - To spur communication and productive dialog about mental health issues. - To encourage healthy methods of dealing with stress. - To provide a cathartic experience for open letter contributors. |
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THE IMPETUS
Jayne Matricardi-Burke (a high school teacher in Northern Virginia) created this project in response to the ever increasing levels of stress, anxiety, and pressure she noticed in her students, combined with several tragedies within the community. |
A GENTLE WARNING
Some content may be emotionally challenging. This site is not appropriate for younger (below high-school-age) visitors. Should any of the content bring up difficult emotional issues for you, please visit our RESOURCES page for helpful links. |
PLEASE REACH OUT
You are not alone. Together we can be resilient. However, this site is not to be used in place of therapy or other forms of professional help. Many links to various types of support are available on our RESOURCES page. |
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THE PHOTOGRAPHY
Each open letter contributor also submits a photograph of their hands, rather than a portrait, to retain anonymity. The motif of hands symbolizes the act of reaching out to others, in a caring and supportive way. |
ADVISORY PANEL
Our Advisory Panel is comprised of mental health experts (psychologists, therapists, social workers, and school counselors). Please contact us, if you are interested in serving on the advisory panel. |
SUBMISSIONS
Young adults are invited to share honest reflections on their personal struggles, messages of hope and stories of resiliency. Contact us if you are interested in submitting your own "open letter". |
FUTURE EXPANSION
The first group of open letters were all former art students, and therefore many reflections mention the importance of high school art classes. Alone-Together.org now hopes to branch out to include many other types of voices as well. We are also interested in expanding to open letters from parents. If you are interested in contributing your own open letter, please visit our SUBMISSIONS page.
The first group of open letters were all former art students, and therefore many reflections mention the importance of high school art classes. Alone-Together.org now hopes to branch out to include many other types of voices as well. We are also interested in expanding to open letters from parents. If you are interested in contributing your own open letter, please visit our SUBMISSIONS page.
