In 1996, my friend and colleague, Brandi Stone opened her heart and stepped into the shadows just blocks from the Magic Kingdom.
Freshly free from an abusive marriage, she began volunteering in the forgotten motels of Anaheim—the ones hidden behind the tourist sparkle, where families lived crammed into single rooms and childhoods teetered on the edge of survival.
Brandi went not to save, but to serve. And in reaching out to children whose names the world never knew, she began stitching her own soul back together.
An Orange County Register photographer followed her story for six months, capturing images that became Pulitzer Prize finalists and earned the prestigious Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism. But those photos only scratched the surface.
When I met Brandi she was busily writing her stories that were so heart-wrenching that she was not ready to share them with anyone.
She continued to be friends with many of the children she met as they moved into high school and college.
She continued to fill her journals with her story.
Now, Brandi brings us behind the lens and into the lives that changed her forever. With unflinching honesty and deep reverence for the families she met, she shares the stories we didn’t see—the moments of heartbreak, resilience, laughter, and grace.
Hope in the Forest is a tribute to what blooms when compassion leads, and when one woman dares to meet despair with presence. Step into the motels. Stay for the humanity. Let Branda’s story awaken the part of you that still believes in light, even in the darkest places.
Congratulations to Brandi upon the release of her memoir, Hope in the Forest, available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
✨ Still waiting to begin your life story?
Let’s change that.
You’ve carried the desire to write your story for a long time.
But something keeps getting in the way—doubt, overwhelm, or the myth that you need more time.
My short and empowering video course,
🎥“Everything You Need to Know About Writing Your Life Story,”
is your clear and compassionate starting point to remove the blocks that have held you back.
GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS NOW
