An East Bay Teen's Preserved Dozens Of Her Community's Stories. Now She Needs Help

FREMONT, CA — For over a year, Aashi Gupta has single-handedly conducted more than 100 interviews and turned them into six books that capture the stories of older people in her East Bay community.

Stories that would otherwise go forever untold, Aashi, a Fremont teen and Girl Scout, says.

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"Almost none of how this area got built is written down anywhere," Aashi told Patch. "It's in the memories of the people who lived it, and when they pass away, it's gone."

But being a one-person operation has its limits. So, Aashi is seeking volunteers to help her project, "Shared Stories," reach new heights.

"I'm looking for people in Fremont, Newark, and Union City willing to interview an older adult and help turn it into a book," Aashi said. "Training and a written guide are provided, and adults especially are welcome, since students graduate and the program needs people who stay."

Interviews last about an hour and usually take place at a senior center. Aashi said she'll be hosting a training session in December for community members interested in helping capture older people's stories.

"What you write ends up archived at the Museum of Local History permanently, with your name on it," Aashi said. "It's a good fit for anyone who likes history, or anyone who has ever wished they'd recorded a parent or grandparent before it was too late."

Shared Stories, a community storybook project started with Aashi's grandparents. The 16-year-old said she grew up listening to their stories and realized one day that those memories could vanish "simply because no one ever thinks to write them down."

"Some of my favorite memories are of sitting with my grandparents while they talked about their childhoods in India and what it took to build a new life here," Aashi said. "I never got tired of listening to them."

So she started preserving them.

SEE ALSO: It Started With Her Grandparents' Stories. Now, A Bay Area Teen Is Capturing Her Community's Voices

Soon she realized the work she was doing went beyond her family. Aashi says she thought about how many older adults she had previously met, and how she could preserve their stories too.

From there, Aashi says, she expanded to Newark and then a few places around Fremont, growing connections and sharing people's wisdom, one line at a time. Since then, she's been able to share dozens of stories from all walks of life.

"It's a really meaningful and moving experience," Aashi said. "People frequently tell me things they say they have not spoken about in years. Someone might tear up, or suddenly laugh at a memory, and I feel like I'm experiencing the memory right alongside them."

Aashi Gupta's Shared Stories Volunteer Sign-Up form can be found here. She is looking for volunteers from Fremont, Newark, Union City and Milpitas.