A Journey Of Hope™ Transition to Photo Voice

NOTICE OF PROGRAM EVOLUTION As of March 20, 2026, One New Heartbeat has concluded its sponsorship of the Journey of Hope committee. To maintain our commitment to the highest standards of community advocacy and operational transparency, our 2026 spring programming has transitioned to PhotoVoice Sacramento: A National Hybrid Exhibit. >The archives included on this page represent the foundational work and investment made by One New Heartbeat during our tenure as the primary sponsoring 501(c)(3) organization.

Important Announcement: Project Transition for May 2026

Please be advised that One New Heartbeat has transitioned its programming and will no longer be the sponsoring body for the Journey of Hope 2026 exhibit

A Bold New Vision for Mental Health Awareness Month

One New Heartbeat is proud to announce the launch of PhotoVoice Sacramento 2026. Following the massive success of our model in San Mateo County, we are bringing this high-impact, nationwide movement to the heart of California’s capital this May.

As a leader in community-based mental health advocacy, One New Heartbeat has transitioned our spring programming to focus on this evidence-based methodology. While our formal collaboration with the Journey of Hope committee has concluded, our mission to amplify marginalized voices has never been stronger. We are channeling our full resources, national network, and expertise into this transformative experience.

Participant Registration Form

What is Photo Voice?

PhotoVoice is a global storytelling movement. It moves beyond the traditional art gallery by putting the power of the lens directly into the hands of those with lived experience.

It is a platform for those often silenced to document their reality, process their journey, and most importantly, spark community connection. By capturing "the unseen," our storytellers foster a deeper public understanding of mental health, challenging misconceptions and building a more compassionate culture in our community. Click the links below to see San Mateo County past events.

Photovoice at the Youth Services Center

The Health Ambassador Program Through Photovoice

How It Works: Your Story, Your Way

PhotoVoice is a participant-led journey. We provide the platform; you provide the vision. There are no rigid rules for your creativity, only opportunities to be heard.

1. CHOOSE YOUR THEME While you are free to share any experience, we provide optional themes and topics each quarter to help spark your inspiration. Whether you are navigating a "Taboo" subject or sharing a "Truth" of triumph, the direction is entirely up to you.

2. CAPTURE YOUR VISION Use your camera or smartphone to capture images that represent your reality. You have full creative agency. We do not reshape, edit, or filter your words. Your story remains 100% authentically yours.

3. OPTIONAL SUPPORT If you want help articulating your vision or technical tips on photography, we offer an optional Empowerment Workshop each quarter. This is a supportive space to connect with others, but it is not required—you are welcome to submit your work independently.

4. MULTIPLE WAYS TO SHARE The choice of how the world sees your work is yours. Options include:

The May Gallery Exhibit: Professionally curated and displayed for Mental Health Awareness Month.
The Digital Showcase: Featured on the One New Heartbeat website.
The "Voice" Experience: An opportunity to video record yourself reading your story alongside your photos (focusing on your art, not your face, to maintain your chosen level of privacy).

Our Commitment to Your Agency

ANONYMITY IS AN OPTION: Your privacy is our priority. You can share under your name, a pseudonym, or remain entirely anonymous.
UNFILTERED VOICES: We are here to provide the platform, not to rewrite your experience. We do not "clean up" or change your truth.
TOTAL CONTROL: You decide if your work is displayed in the gallery, on our website, or via video. You can opt-in or out of any feature at any time.
TRAUMA-INFORMED SPACE: Whether you work with us in a workshop or submit privately, One New Heartbeat provides a safe, supportive environment for your story to live.

Join the Next Cycle

We are now accepting submissions for our May 2026 Kickoff.

OPTIONAL INFORMATION SESSION - APRIL 10TH AT NOON

Sponsor PhotoVoice Sacramento 2026

Invest in the Power of the Unfiltered Lens

One New Heartbeat invites you to become a foundational partner for the 2026 PhotoVoice & Digital Storytelling Exhibit. By sponsoring this hybrid national event, your organization demonstrates a bold commitment to mental health equity, community healing, and the validation of lived experiences.

All sponsors will receive prominent logo recognition in our 2026 PhotoVoice Digital Flip Book and all physical printed materials used at our Natomas gallery and beyond.

Ready to Partner?

Your investment ensures that silence is replaced with story, and stigma is replaced with strength.

For custom sponsorship packages or to provide high-resolution logos for our printed materials, please contact our team at info@onenewheartbeat.org

The One New Heartbeat Methodology: Our 3 Tenets

We don’t just take photos; we facilitate a journey of healing and community connection through three core pillars:

1. TRUTH | Personal Healing

Healing begins with an honest lens. Storytellers share their raw experiences of hardship and triumph. Through radical vulnerability, emotion is not only seen it is felt by the audience, creating a profound human connection that transcends words.

2. TABOO | Stigma Reduction

We take an active role in "The Great Reframing." Our participants transition stories often kept in the shadows such as sexual assault, clinical depression, and isolation into powerful narratives of resilience, growth, and survival.

3. TRANSFER | Community Action

The story does not end at the frame. Every participant concludes with a Compassionate Call to Action. We transfer the power of the individual story into a collective movement, empowering the community to broaden the definition of recovery and support one another more deeply.

The Nationwide Impact

By joining the PhotoVoice movement, Sacramento stays at the forefront of a nationwide shift toward Participant-Led Storytelling. * CHALLENGE the root causes of mental health stigma through education.

VALIDATE the lived experiences of diverse and marginalized voices.

FOSTER EMPATHY within our local community to ensure no one feels alone.

SPARK CHANGE in how we perceive and talk about wellness and recovery.

Join the Movement

We are currently seeking Storytellers, Sponsors, and Community Partners for our 2026 cycle.

Are you ready to share your truth? One New Heartbeat provides comprehensive workshops, technical guidelines, and dedicated emotional support for all participants to ensure a safe, empowering environment for your story to be told.

The Experience: How We Share Your Truth

PhotoVoice Sacramento is a multi-dimensional exhibit. We offer two distinct ways for your work to be experienced by our national and local audiences:

1. The PhotoVoice Exhibit (Still Imagery & Narrative)

These are single-page layouts featuring a captured photo and a short written piece.

The In-Person Experience: Stories are displayed throughout our Natomas gallery. We invite the audience to navigate the room in silence, ensuring each story receives the attention and respect it deserves.
The Digital Experience: Stories are displayed on a large screen for our national Zoom audience. If you choose, you may read your story live to the group; otherwise, a presenter will read it, allowing for a moment of reflection between each piece.

2. Digital Storytelling (Cinematic Narrative)

Digital Stories are 3-minute videos that include your recorded narrative. You create these using a blend of photography, videography, and audio to describe your lived experience.

The Presentation: These films are played on a large screen for both our local and national audiences.
The Introduction: If you are comfortable, we invite you to introduce your story sharing your process, intentions, and hopes before the film begins.

Join Us: The 2026 Hybrid Launch

To ensure this national movement is accessible to everyone, our May kickoff will be a Hybrid Event.

Attend in Person: Join us at our location in Natomas to engage with the physical gallery and meet the local community.
Attend via Zoom: Join our national broadcast to view the digital stories and PhotoVoice layouts from anywhere in the country.

The Dialogue: Regardless of how you attend, every exhibit concludes with a facilitated conversation. We come together as a collective to discuss our reactions, feelings, and the impact of the stories shared.

Our Participant Promise

Whether you are creating a PhotoVoice layout or a Digital Story:

Complete Creative Control: All images are captured by you, and all scripts/narratives are written by you.
Authentic Production: You are the producer and editor of your truth. We provide the platform and technical support if requested, but the final product is your unfiltered vision.
Choice of Presence: You decide if you want to be the one to read or introduce your work, or if you prefer to let the work speak for itself while you remain anonymous.

DONATE

Institutional History

Notice of Proprietary Archive

This section serves as a public record of the work product, strategic planning, and community outreach conducted by One New Heartbeat as the sponsoring 501(c)(3) for this project October 2025 through March 20, 2026. While One New Heartbeat is no longer affiliated with the current Journey of Hope committee, these materials remain the proprietary record of our organization's prior leadership and financial investment.

Please note that the documentation, branding, and outreach materials found below on this page belong to the One New Heartbeat legacy archive.

Archive: Developed by One New Heartbeat, 2025.

Call for Writers

Have you ever felt like words weren't enough to describe your journey? We are looking for brave individuals to share their lived experiences with mental health our The Journey of Hope event

This isn’t just a writing project, it’s a collaboration of the soul. Your story will serve as the heartbeat for a local artist, who will interpret your words to create a unique painting or sculpture.

How it Works:

Submit Your Story: Share your lived experience with a mental health challenge (written format).

The Artistic Match: We pair your story with a local artist who will spend months translating your narrative into a physical work of art.

The Grand Reveal: In October, you and your artist will meet for a private, intimate first look at the piece.

The Public Exhibition: Following the reveal, the doors open to the community to honor these journeys of resilience.

Important Details:

Registration Deadline: March 16, 2026

Reveal Event: October 2026

Goal: To bridge the gap between spoken experience and visual emotion, fostering healing and community understanding.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." — Pablo Picasso

CALL FOR ARTISTS

We are looking for artists who want to create with purpose.

This project is more than art it’s connection, healing, and storytelling.

You’ll receive a short story or poem (1,000 words or less) written by someone who has lived through a mental health challenge. Their courage becomes your inspiration. Your creativity becomes their voice. Together, we turn lived experience into something powerful, beautiful, and seen.

Stories will be assigned on or before Monday, April 27, 2026.

Archive: Developed by One New Heartbeat, 2025.

2026 EXHIBIT PARTICIPATION DETAILS FOR ARTISTS

The purpose of the exhibit is to share stories of hope and recovery to give others insight, inspiration, understanding, strength, connection, and to raise awareness. All artists are asked to create pieces consistent with this goal.

• Participation in the 2026 Journey of Hope exhibit is open to residents of Sacramento and surrounding Counties. It is expected that you will be able to attend the meet and greet on October 3, 2026 at The MACC art gallery located in Rancho Cordova, CA.

• Lived experience with a mental health challenge is not required for an artist's participation.

• Participation is limited and it is not guaranteed that all applicants will be paired for the event.

• Everyone who sent in a registration form will be notified regarding their participation via email from JourneyofHope@onenewheartbeat.org.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Please submit Participant Registration Form below

forms.gle/L2svXWmqkngWfDbn8

Artists featured at this event will be selected based on completed registration forms and receipt of required images of sample artwork. Please submit 3-5 images of previous artwork as examples of your style and approach; this aids us in the writer/artist pairing process. Registration form and sample images must be submitted no later than the deadline of Monday, MARCH 16, 2026.

2. Each artist will be given a short story or poem (1,000 words or less) written by an individual who has experienced a mental health challenge. This story should be the inspiration for the artist, who may interpret the story in a way they feel is appropriate. A written piece will be given to each artist on or before Monday, APRIL 27 2026.

3. Each participant is highly encouraged to submit a headshot and biography (250 words or less). These will be displayed at The MACC gallery for the duration of the exhibit.

Please submit headshots and biographies along with the photo release form to JourneyofHope@onenewheartbeat.org no later than Monday, JUNE 8, 2026.

4. Artists will be contacted the first week of June to discuss the progress of their piece and to address any questions. Final artwork must be delivered to the drop off location in Sacramento County (location and time to follow closer to drop off date) on Sunday August 3 or Monday August 4, 2026. If your artwork is not received on this date it may not be included in the exhibit.

Thank you again for your interest in participating!

Please contact us at JourneyofHope@onenewheartbeat.org with any questions or concerns.

Help Us Make The Journey of Hope Possible

Funding Purpose & Request

Journey of Hope is rooted in a belief that healing begins when people are met with dignity, choice, and compassion. This free, trauma-informed community exhibit brings together lived-experience storytelling and creative expression to illuminate the challenges, resilience, and hopes of individuals navigating mental health experiences.

Participation is always voluntary. Stories are shared on participants’ own terms. The exhibit is designed to be emotionally safe, respectful, and accessible to all who engage.

Why This Investment Matters

Community-based mental health healing does not happen by accident, it requires thoughtful planning, safe environments, and people who are willing to hold space with care.

Journey of Hope intentionally removes financial barriers for both participants and attendees. No one is charged to share their story, create artwork, or attend the exhibit. This ensures access for individuals and families who are often excluded due to cost, stigma, or system fatigue.

To uphold these values, philanthropic support is essential.

Use of Funds

We are seeking $10,000 in funding to cover the core, non-negotiable costs required to host Journey of Hope responsibly:

Printing and outreach materials
Flyers and community materials to ensure inclusive, grassroots outreach and broad community awareness.
Catering for the event
Providing food is an act of care and accessibility, supporting connection, comfort, and sustained participation—particularly for individuals experiencing economic stress.
Securing a safe, accessible venue
A welcoming space that meets accessibility needs and supports emotional safety is foundational to trauma-informed engagement.
Volunteer stipends
Modest stipends for the three community volunteers who are spearheading planning, coordination, outreach, and on-the-ground support. These stipends honor lived experience, labor, and leadership without exploitation.

Each cost directly supports participant well-being, accessibility, and ethical implementation.

Trauma-Informed Stewardship

Funds are used with intention and accountability. Volunteer stipends recognize the emotional and logistical labor involved in holding community healing spaces. Outreach materials ensure that participation is informed and consensual. Catering and venue selection prioritize dignity, comfort, and safety.

This is not an extractive or performative project. Journey of Hope is built on trust, transparency, and respect for community expertise.

Impact

By funding Journey of Hope, partners support:

Reduced stigma through humanized storytelling
Increased community connection and understanding
Recognition of lived experience as leadership
Early, non-clinical pathways to healing and hope

The impact extends beyond the exhibit as participants and attendees carry forward new language, empathy, and connection into their families, workplaces, and communities.

Invitation to Partner

We invite funders to support Journey of Hope as an investment in community-driven, trauma-informed healing. Your partnership ensures this experience remains free, accessible, and grounded in care for those most impacted.

Thank you for supporting work that honors stories, sustains community, and keeps hope visible.

2026 EXHIBIT PARTICIPATION

DETAILS FOR STORY WRITERS

The purpose of the exhibit is to share stories of hope and recovery to give others insight, inspiration, understanding, strength, connection, and to raise awareness. All story writers are asked to create pieces consistent with this goal.

• Lived experience with a mental health challenge is required for a story writer's participation.

• Participation is limited and it is not guaranteed that all applicants will be paired for the event.

• Everyone who sent in a registration form will be notified regarding their participation via email from JourneyofHope@onenewheartbeat.org.

Please submit Participant Registration Form at

forms.gle/L2svXWmqkngWfDbn8

Registrations must be submitted no later than the deadline of Monday, MARCH 16, 2026.

STORY GUIDELINES

• Writers will submit their written story about their lived experience with a mental health challenge no later than the deadline of Monday, APRIL 13, 2026. The story will then be given to a local artist who will interpret the story as she/he feels is appropriate.

• All forms of storytelling, including poetry, etc., are acceptable. Stories should be written with respectful and non-stigmatizing language. Stories with foul or discriminatory language will not be accepted.

• Grammatical and/or typographical errors may be corrected without notice. Any edits affecting content will be discussed with the author prior to edits being made. Please check your spelling and grammar before submitting your final draft.

• Stories will remain the writer’s property, however, be aware that as part of this exhibit, stories will be viewed by the public and be published in the event program/booklet. Excerpts from stories may be used for promotion of the show.

Thank you again for your interest in participating!

Please contact us at JourneyofHope@onenewheartbeat.org with any questions or concerns.

Archive: Developed by One New Heartbeat, 2025.

Journey of Hope 2026

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Journey of Hope?

Journey of Hope is an interactive community exhibit. The exhibit pairs real-life storytelling, and creative artworks inspired by those stories, to illuminate the challenges and hopes of individuals living with a mental illness.

How much does it cost?

This event is completely free to both participants and attendees.

Community members are invited to share their stories or create inspired artworks. Their participation is voluntary and there are no fees associated with participating.

Who can participate?

All residents of Sacramento and surrounding counties are welcome to register to participate. Participants are asked to be available to attend the private meet and greet on October 3, 2026, in Rancho Cordova, CA.

All participants must be 18 years of age or older by March 16, 2026.

Due to gallery size limitations, not all applicants will be paired with a writer/artist. All applicants will be notified via email of participation status by March 28, 2026.

When is the event?

The event will be held October 1-24, 2026, Thursday-Saturday. A public reception is scheduled for October 3, 2026. Additionally, a private Meet and Greet for participants will be held prior to the public reception on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Where will it be held?

The Journey of Hope exhibit will be displayed at The MACC:

The MACC

10191 Mills Station Road

Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Open for viewing October 1-24, 2026, on Thursday-Friday 2pm-7pm & Saturday 11am-4pm

Visit The MACC website https://www.rcmacc.org/exhibits/2026-journey-of-hope

Why is Journey of Hope important?

The mission of Journey of Hope is to stop societal stigmas around mental illness and show how everyday people can thrive despite living with a mental health challenge.

Statistics show that 1 in 5 adults live with a diagnosable mental health condition. In Sacramento County alone, there are over 300,000 individuals living with mental illness. We believe no one should have to struggle alone and that, despite the challenges, there is always hope for recovery and wellness.

Where can I go to learn more?

Check out our website https://www.onenewheartbeat.app/journey-of-hope

You can also stay up to date on Journey of Hope by following One New Heartbeat’s social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneNewHeartbeatInc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onenewheartbeat/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onenewheartbeat375

How long has the show been around?

Journey of Hope started as a small event and has expanded and grown each year. The 2026 event marks the 8th year of this amazing exhibit.

How can I get involved?

Check out our website https://www.onenewheartbeat.app/journey-of-hope to learn about participating as either an Artist or Story Writer.

The participant registration deadline is MARCH 16, 2026.

Come visit The MACC in October 2026 to see the event in person!