Public health is a field fundamentally grounded in evidence, data, and scientific rigor. For an organization like the Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership (SAPHL), whose work is rooted in addressing quantifiable challenges like declining vaccination rates and rising maternal mortality, data-driven leadership is paramount. 

However, in the complex arenas of public policy and community engagement, data alone is often insufficient to inspire action and shift perspectives. The most robust datasets and meticulously crafted bar charts frequently fail to create the empathetic understanding required to move audiences from passive awareness to active support.

Beyond its immediate use for supporting public health, a systematic story collection initiative serves a second, equally vital purpose: the preservation of the history of public health itself. For the field of public health, this practice is essential for capturing a history that is largely absent from the official record (or at a minimum, disappearing).