PEABODY — More than 20 residents from across the city will share their stories next month as the Healthy Peabody Collaborative and Peabody Recreation unveil the Portraits of Peabody PhotoVoice Project: a community art exhibit designed to foster empathy, understanding, and acceptance through photography and storytelling.

The free public unveiling will take place Thursday, Aug. 13 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Wiggin Auditorium on the second floor of City Hall, located at 24 Lowell St.

According to the Healthy Peabody Collaborative, the project was created around the belief that “what we feed is what will grow,” with organizers hoping the exhibit will encourage residents to get to know their neighbors while celebrating the people who make up the community.

The initiative grew out of community conversations held after the death of Jason Bernard, an eighth-grade student who died by suicide in May 2025 due to bullying. Those discussions led to the creation of a community project action team focused on promoting empathy and acceptance in Peabody.

Using the PhotoVoice model, which pairs photography with personal storytelling, organizers interviewed 23 residents representing a wide range of backgrounds, occupations, and life experiences. Each participant will be featured with a portrait, a personal quote, and a short story highlighting their experiences.

“We’re raising up the average Joe that’s walking beside you and getting to know them on a more personal level. … We’re trying to stop people from making assumptions about somebody based on what they look like, how they dress, how they speak, how they act,” Healthy Peabody Collaborative Outreach Coordinator Sandi Drover said.

Peabody Recreation, Parks, and Forestry Interim Director Jackie Ciardi said working on the project has been an opportunity to connect with residents whose stories might otherwise go untold.

“It’s been interesting to think about the sectors of our community that might not always be the first that we think of and reach out to those folks,” Ciardi said.

Although the featured participants are adults, Ciardi said families are encouraged to attend so children can see people in the community who may share their interests, backgrounds, or experiences.

“We want kids to come to the event so that they can see that there are adults in the community that might look like them or have the same interests or hobbies or stories,” Ciardi said.

The exhibit will also feature QR codes linking visitors to a digital version of the project on the Peabody PROMISE website, where stories can be translated into multiple languages and viewed using accessibility tools. Organizers expect the online exhibit to launch the day of the unveiling.

Following the unveiling, organizers hope the exhibit will remain at City Hall before traveling to other public spaces throughout the city.

For Drover, who will retire later this month after a decades-long career with the Healthy Peabody Collaborative, the project represents both a celebration of the community and the culmination of years spent working to support Peabody’s youth.

“We all have a role and a responsibility for the next generation,” Drover said. “I feel like this project shows that.”