Team

our FOUNDER

Kathy Katims

Kathy grew up in a railroad apartment above a luggage store in Brooklyn, fifth of six kids, with a father who got a fatal illness when she was a teenager. She was an under-resourced, underrepresented youth. Her mission is to help people like herself tell their vital stories.

While she was in college, Kathy read an article that she couldn’t get out of her mind. It posited that a profound source a grief for foster youth is that they often have no consistent adult to hold their story–no one to say, “When you were two, you lost a tooth and when you were nine, you learned to ride a two wheeler, and when you were thirteen, you met your best friend.”

In 2016, Kathy had an idea to bring foster youth together in small prompt-driven writing workshops to unearth their history, to bear witness for each other, and to know they were not alone. The intimate, safe setting of the workshop allowed young people to delve into their stories, to share their stories and to create connection, community and friendships.

When Kathy decided to bring these workshops to other populations, SAVED BY A STORY was born. Since 2016, Kathy has run free prompt-driven writing workshops for women and teens in recovery, former foster youth, neurodiverse teens, parents raising neurodiverse kids, teachers, and senior citizens.

In addition to her community work, Kathy founded the Saved By A Story storytelling salon which has built community, supported emerging writers and so far raised $190,000 to help under-resourced and underrepresented people tell their story.

In March 2020, Kathy began Saved By A Story Workshops, prompt-driven writing workshops giving established and aspiring writers a creative, safe and inspiring environment to develop the stories they are burning to tell.

In March 2024, Kathy is honored that Saved By A Story has become a project under the fiscal sponsorship of Unusual Suspects Theater Company. Funds raised will benefit the community work of Saved by a Story. She looks forward to growing Saved by A Story and expanding its reach.

Writing Workshop Facilitators