Flame Tree Story - The Podcast
Each episode shares voices from our live storytelling events, featuring stories that reveal how action and identity intersect in everyday life.
What We Do * Who We Are
*
What We Do * Who We Are *
Flame Tree Story, the podcast, explores how our actions shape who we are—and how who we are shapes what we do. Each episode spotlights true stories from community and workplace storytelling events, inviting storytellers and listeners alike to discover how purpose and identity weave together.
Hosted by Whitney Fry, the podcast amplifies voices and experiences that spark empathy, strengthen connection, and inspire collaborative action. Join us as we connect through the power of story.
The Flame Tree Story podcast is produced by Story First Design.
Episode 10: The Homes We Carry—Stories of Movement and Identity
This episode features two more stories from our World Refugee Day storytelling event, exploring migration as both a physical and inward journey.
Luke Vandergriff spent 15 years in Bolivia as a missionary and teacher before stepping out as a musician. His path from Bolivia to Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and back to North Carolina became a journey toward finding home within himself. Julia F. Green reflects on her own movements across the US, while tracing her grandmother's migration journey during WWII. Julia discovers that home is something she actively builds in all seasons, through small rituals and intentional relationships.
Both Luke and Julia realize that home isn't ultimately about location; it's about finding yourself. This episode also references a radio interview with Tra Tran of Refugee Community Partnership, linked here.
Episode 09: Stories of Courage on World Refugee Day
This episode features two stories from our World Refugee Day storytelling event, spotlighting journeys of leaving everything behind to seek asylum in the US.
Arina Lekht was a child when she and her family fled Odessa, Ukraine in September 1991. Her story weaves humor and heartbreak as she tells of the unbelievable events leading up to and during her family’s departure. Hayman Linn Lae Zaw left her home in Burma in 2022 after the military coup and subsequent state-sponsored violence on civilians. Hayman’s story uncovers her difficult decision to flee her country and settle in North Carolina.
Both storytellers share what courage looks like: the courage to leave, the courage to find home again, and the courage to belong in a world with borders.