Meet Sarah Curry | Author/Founder of Smile Books Project and Trauma and Resilience Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Curry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, how does your business help the community?
Smile Books Project helps individuals and other nonprofit organizations share their stories. We give a voice to those who otherwise may go unheard when they have a powerful story to tell. We bring awareness, fundraising and hope to those who need it. Our social impact on the lives of those we work with continues to grow. If a child or parent we are working with has a terminal diagnosis, we are giving them a gift that anyone in their situation can hope for: a legacy to leave. We know we can’t change what is happening, but we can give them a chance to know they will be remembered in such a unique way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To put it simply, I am a storyteller. I use words to put the precious lives, messages and hopes that others share with me into a story that is memorable to anyone who reads it. Smile Books Project started out of a simple idea: to give a voice to the children who have had everything taken away due to a critical illness. It is so hard to see this happening and realize they have no control over what is happening to them anymore. When you give someone the chance to share their story, it gives them the power back and can help them mentally, emotionally, and physically. It was not easy to get to this point, because to share the stories we do, I’ve had to hear the stories and thousands more to know there is a need for our nonprofit.

I graduated with High Honors from the University of Cincinnati Department of Communication. I have spent my entire career working with critically ill children and their families. I’ve learned a lot of lessons about life, loss and love through these years. While it is difficult to see people going through potentially the worst time in their lives, there is also beauty in seeing how precious life really is in the end. I have learned that the most important gift you can give someone is your time. Listening to someone to hear them, not to respond, is what makes them feel heard and special.

I want the world to just know that Smile Books Project is here. We quietly go about our lives trying to make a difference. As for myself, I wish the world could see the things I see, hear the stories I hear, and know and work with the most giving people that I get to work with – not just the children and the families, but the people in this field of work with me. My only goal is to leave people better than I found them. I hope that Smile Books Project is helping me accomplish this.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The city of Cincinnati is full of hidden gems. From the small coffee shops to the quiet parks, it would be hard to set one itinerary! I would head right to the river and walk along and point out the buildings, the stadiums, the parks and the arts tucked around the city. There are so many wonderful suburbs around the city that it would be hard not to suggest stopping by Northside, West Chester, Mariemont, etc. You name it, each little city has a very unique history and “must-see” places. That’s what makes Cincinnati so full of things to see and do. You really can’t go wrong.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Robert Kelly is the illustrator and co-founder of Smile Books Project. He brings the pictures of each person we are working with to life in a way that truly brings an immediate smile. It’s one thing to tell a story, but it’s another to see someone see themselves as the character by looking at their illustration. Bob has worked tirelessly to tell the parts of each story we can’t fit into words through his amazing illustrations.

Website: smilebooksproject.org

Instagram: @smilebooksproject

Linkedin: Sarah Curry

Facebook: Smile Books Project

Image Credits
Angie Lipscomb