Understand
YOUR OWN STRENGTH
What does being strong mean to you?
I associate being strong with remaining faithful and not wavering, whether that is in a physical, mental, or spiritual aspect. I think being strong also means to recognize fear and not let it have precedence in my life.
-Madeline (Soul 5)
Inspire
OTHERS WITH YOUR STORY
Who is a female role model in your life and why?
My Bachan (grandma)! Not only is she physically strong (shoveling feet of snow in her driveway in her 90s), she is also emotionally and mentally strong. Her high school years were spent imprisoned at Heart Mountain, a Japanese internment camp. She lived through subsequent years of hateful racism for decades after the war ended. What does her life look like now? She drives her Japanese church friends to the casino once weekly, prepares meals for church members, watches her favorite sports teams on TV, and is loved dearly by her four kids and grandchildren. I admire her tenacity, graciousness, and patient nature.
-Tiana (Soul 12)
Engage
YOUR COMMUNITY IN AN ‘INTENTIONAL ACT OF KINDNESS’
Tammi’s Intentional Act of Kindness
I purchased 140 pencils, 80 pens, 50 notebooks, 12 pencil sharpeners, 14 calendars, 5 address books, 5 reading glasses and 5 magnifying glasses. The remaining $22.90 after purchasing those items was donated to the Activities Department at the rehabilitation facility, which works to provide quality of life enrichment to the residents.
I wanted the gift to touch as many people as I could, particularly those who are elderly, disabled, and often forgotten. Making a positive impact can have such a strong, lasting effect on my own and other individuals lives.
-Tammi (Soul 17)
Strength has many faces. Strength is pushing yourself to triumph over a seemingly insurmountable task. Conversely, strength is also revealing when you are unable to accomplish something on your own and reaching out for help. Strength is holding tightly to your convictions, while being able to genuinely listen and appreciate others. Strength is saying, "I'm sorry." Strength is advocating for others. It is when we are able to let others see our true selves that we have the most strength.
A collection of words and images, 100 Souls Strong compels women to understand their own strength, inspire others with their story and engage their community in an ‘Intentional Act of Kindness.’ Inspired by the intersection of strength and substance, Kristen Bales began this project in January 2019 and has photographed and given $100 to one woman per month. These photographs illuminate the strength in a young mom who lost her mother to cancer, the strength of a student reapplying after rejection, and the strength of a woman owning her worth to leave a toxic relationship. These stories inspire us to live with love, wisdom and conviction.
Over the course of this 8 year project, Kristen Bales will continue to capture the heart and hope of strong women. So far, 57 women have directly impacted 241 individuals across 6 countries and 14 states through their creative, bold kindness. Through buying gift cards for foster moms, through a hand-written card and home cooked meal, through buying cookies for coworkers, may we cheer one another on with joy. May we see and engage the needs right where we are, help others flourish, and recognize the strength in our own hearts.
