“We Are Here” Stories (List View)

Palm Beach County residents were asked:

Please tell us about an important moment in your life that would help someone understand what it’s like living in your neighborhood.

The stories and micro-narratives they submitted (as part of the We Are Here SenseMaker project) are listed below. Click ZOOM IN to learn more about the community member and how they interpreted their submission. NOTE: Some stories were partially transcribed by volunteers who shortened the narratives and referred to the storytellers in the third person (e.g., “her experience was” instead of “my experience was”).


Sep 15, 2018

My community (Story #365)

An important moment in my life is when someone who you loved the most turns out to be dead or injured.You don’t know how to feel you feel like nobody and this world can’t fix this.My community people would just come to me and say “sorry for your lost” but they know how people can change when someone was injured in their life too
Sep 19, 2018

Sports (Story #504)

Important moments in my life was sports. Growing up around here I had to be into something so I didn’t get caught in the street life. My parents didn’t want me to In up in jail.
Oct 29, 2018

Hard work (Story #264)

Important moment in my life would be finding my first job. Nothing is giving to you around here so you have to go get it. I was 16 when McDonald’s hired me and I’ve been working since.
Sep 12, 2018

Don’t do the bad

Growing up outside the community I was staying out of trouble but once I went back to my old town I was in and out of trouble with friends
Sep 13, 2018

For no reason

I used to be a police back in my day. Things certainly have changed. I was walking outside of my house and seen police interrogating these young men. I did not like what I saw. There were not respectful and actually had no reason to be doing it.
Sep 21, 2018

The Neighborhood Full of Crime

There has been many fights for many years, Loud rowdy fights. The police is constantly coming to our neighborhood to break a fight up or arrest someone for a crime. It’s been like this for years and it should honestly stop. My grandson was recently arrested because he was linked to a shooting. It needs to change and I hope and pray one day it does.