Something special has been building at Givens Estates for nearly two decades—one story at a time.
It started with the conviction of long-time Givens Estates resident Jim Chatham that writing and sharing life stories in small groups can have a magical effect on both those telling their stories and those hearing the words.
“Articulation,” Jim once told an interviewer, “is therapy.”
While it may be intuitive that turning memories into words helps us better understand the past, experience in Jim’s story-writing workshops taught that deepening personal reflection together brings us closer in the present. When Tropical Storm Helene flooded the Asheville region in 2024, the present seemed overwhelming. Jim saw an opportunity to turn distress into healing, inviting his groups to tell their stories.
Jim died earlier this year, but the community of story writers he created continues to grow. Now, those he inspired are working to carry his vision forward through “Writing Your Life,” a professionally produced video (featured below) designed to share Jim’s approach and provide a roadmap for bringing story-writing groups to communities throughout Givens—and potentially far beyond.
The video draws on Jim’s own words and the experiences of people who participated in his workshops. It also features Taryn Tindall, Givens’ Director of Longevity and Brain Health, who highlights the connections between storytelling, reflection, belonging and well-being.
“It can become so easy for the older adult to feel irrelevant and unseen,” Taryn says. “That’s why it matters so much to find your people, find your activities, spend time introspecting and discovering what it is that makes you feel alive.”
Ed Hillman, Jim’s appointed successor in leading the story groups, sees an even broader opportunity: “To duplicate this as far and wide as we possibly can, because we want others to have the same kind of benefit.”
To help make that possible, the project will include companion teaching materials to guide other communities in launching their own story-writing groups. Together, the video and resources are intended to make Jim’s approach accessible to others, not simply preserving what he created but helping it live on and grow.
With financial support from the Givens Foundation and the Givens Estates Resident Association, the project is already underway. Gifts from individual Givens Estates residents are being collected to complete the project, and the Givens Foundation is matching every dollar contributed. Those inspired by “Writing Your Life” can support the project by making a donation here: https://givensfoundation.org/giving/.