Nonie and Natalka are writers and activists who started The Freya Project in January of 2017. Originally galvanized by the results of the 2016 presidential election, their activism and aspirations have transformed over the past two years. Nonie and Natalka support women and non-binary people across the country emotionally by sharing and uplifting the stories of women and non-binary people, and tangibly by raising money for organizations fighting for human rights.

Watch this video and read our Q&A to get to know these two incredible women, the origins of The Freya Project, and where we hope to go next.

It should come as no surprise that we are #1, foam finger pointing, wave-participating fans of storytelling, and all it can do to inspire activism.

I spent most of my childhood afraid of flying objects. Not UFOs, not bats, which sometimes flew in our Bronx backyard, but sporty flying objects: balls, rackets, any sort of equipment that might collide with my body unexpectedly (or worse, on purpose). My childhood activities included reading in closets and setting up pretend stores with my sisters and lots of bike riding, but why anyone joined a sports team was beyond my comprehension.

Central to our work at The Freya Project is our belief in the voices of women and non-binary people, and the transformative power of storytelling. Which is why we are so thrilled to support writers Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Chanice Hughes-Greenberg, Danielle Lazarin, and Litia Perta with our 2019 grants to readers. Each of them will receive unrestricted $1,000 grants to support their writing in any way they choose.