Memory Community

ABOUT MEMORY COMMUNITY

Who We Are

Memory Community is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, documenting, and sharing stories, memories, experiences, and histories.

Our work creates a place where meaningful stories can be remembered, explored, and shared with others.

OUR STORY

Every organization has a story.

Memory Community has developed through a commitment to preserving memories, documenting experiences, and making meaningful stories accessible to others.

OUR MISSION

Preserving What Matters

Our mission is to preserve meaningful memories, personal experiences, community histories, and stories so that they can continue to be remembered and shared.

Through storytelling, video, photography, written materials, and historical preservation, Memory Community works to keep important memories accessible for future generations.

OUR VISION

A Community Where Stories Are Never Forgotten

We envision a future where important memories, experiences, and stories are preserved and accessible to the people and generations who need them.

WHAT WE DO

Memory Community works to:

Preserve personal and community memories.
Document important stories and experiences.
Share Movie Memoirs and other visual stories.
Maintain historical records and resources.
Create opportunities for people to connect through shared memories.
Help ensure that meaningful stories are not forgotten.

Our History

The Beginning of Memory Community

Memory Community was officially founded on April 25, 2011, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Washington State, USA. The organization was founded by filmmaker Yankee Zhou, also known as Zhou Yanz and Yankee Zhou Yanz.

After moving from Taiwan to the United States in 2010, Yankee Zhou began looking for a new direction in life. With a background in filmmaking and a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from New York University, he eventually discovered a new calling: using filmmaking to serve older adults, communities, and the preservation of life stories.

Following months of planning and preparation, Memory Community was born.

The Movie Memoir Project

The organization's central project is known as Movie Memoir. Through this project, older adults are given the opportunity to share a meaningful memory or life story through film.

The stories are filmed in an interview-style format and carefully edited into cinematic documentaries. These films preserve the unique experiences, memories, and personal histories of individuals so that their families, friends, communities, and future generations can continue to remember and learn from them.

Unlike a traditional memorial video created after someone has passed away, a Movie Memoir is created while the individual is still alive. It gives people the opportunity to tell their own stories in their own voices and preserve a meaningful part of their lives through film.

Preserving Stories for Future Generations

Since its founding, Memory Community has created numerous films featuring older adults and their personal experiences. The project has documented stories from people of different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

Each Movie Memoir is unique because every person's life story is unique.

The organization believes that meaningful stories should not be forgotten. A person's memories can be a gift to their family, their community, and future generations.

The Journey Continues

Memory Community continues its mission of preserving memories and sharing life stories through film, while also maintaining a growing collection of videos and other creative and historical materials.

The organization's vision extends beyond individual communities. Through the Movie Memoir project, Memory Community seeks to create a lasting record of the experiences, memories, and stories of people whose lives deserve to be remembered.

Every life has a story. Every memory has meaning. Every story deserves to be remembered.

This history is based on published accounts describing Memory Community's founding, its Movie Memoir project, and its work preserving older adults' life stories.

A Milestone Project: Signed, Baba