HOPE through Courage and Stories
Stories of HOPE is a place where there is no judgement and no agendas other than the giving and receiving HOPE thanks to the courage of our guest speakers sharing their stories of overcoming adversity.
Hear the stories of how everyday people, people just like you have overcome extraordinary odds and challenges.
Attendees have shared with us time and time again how Stories of HOPE awakened the realisation that there are others who have walked the same path through adversity opening the door to the understanding that they are ‘not alone’.
It is right there at that moment of clarity, that moment of multi-faceted realisation that HOPE, encouragement and lasting change is born.
The Birth of Stories of HOPE
Sitting in a women’s conference in August 2016 adrift and feeling utterly defeated after many years of relentless adversity, trauma and grief amplified by the recent passing of my father and continuing health issues with my husband the future was uncertain and in many ways terrifying. As I sat there listening to the speakers share their stories during the conference I had a realisation that I needed to share my story, my stories of survival, stories of triumph, the good, the bad and the ugly.
This realisation was a defining moment in my life, I realised the challenges and adversity I had endured had to be for a greater purpose and calling, that I must go out into the world and inspire people to realise, as I did hearing the stories of others overcoming their adversity, that I needed to do it the largest scale I possibly could.
This defining moment blossomed renewed purpose and grew to an understanding that this was not something that I could do alone, that by inviting inspirational guest speakers to share their stories in a dedicated format could empower so many more than I could ever possibly reach alone and after just 5 months of planning and organisation the first ever Stories of HOPE event kicked off on 30th January 2017.
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“Stories of Hope is one of the best community events on the Sunshine Coast, it’s monthly gathering at The Sands Tavern Maroochydore is free and it brings the local community together in a safe environment where people get to share their stories of hope such as overcoming tragedy, family loss, addiction, mental illness, overcoming serious injury or sickness to name a few.
The host/creator of Stories of Hope Kerrie Atherton does an amazing job, do yourself a favour and come to the next event.”
I’m so glad I was introduced to Stories of Hope and last night was so inspirational to hear two different stories of resilience and hope. I’m sure everyone who attended went home with a message of hope and understanding that no matter how difficult life can get for us, there is always hope we can hang onto. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.
The message that “you are not alone” is a cry from Kerrie Atherton’s heart. By hearing the stories, one can feel secure in the knowledge that there are others out there who have overcome challenging circumstances. A marvellous divinely inspired imitative that ignites hope and courage to press on in life. Potentially life changing!”
“I first went to Stories of HOPE in March 2017 after coming through a serious illness. It was so good to feel a part of something so special – ordinary people sharing extraordinary life experiences & how they overcame the difficulties they faced. It is wonderful to see how the event has grown in the last year, the stories are inspiring & connect people on so many levels.
It truly shows what happens when someone finds their passion & purpose in life through their own suffering. Awesome 
”