Scenes to cut together
1. Folding chairs being unstacked and set in a circle in an empty community room. 4 seconds.
2. People arrive; two women hug in the doorway. 4 seconds.
3. Coffee poured into paper cups at a side table, hands only. 3 seconds.
4. The full circle, seated and laughing, shot from just outside the ring. Slow orbit. 6 seconds.
Look: Bright, clean, steady handheld or gimbal footage at 24 fps, soft natural daylight, light uncluttered settings, real joy not staged, small pops of red. No text, no logos, no audio needed.
Framing: This is the 'start where you live' moment: small, local and warm. No stage, no podium. Keep the action in the center of the frame: the video is shown inside a circle.
Poster still (CHAP-IMG-01, 1200 × 1200 px), Artlist prompt: People arriving at a neighborhood community room, two women greeting each other with a hug in the doorway, folding chairs being set in a circle behind them. Square frame with the subject centered: it is shown inside a circle. Bright, clean lifestyle photograph, soft natural daylight, light and uncluttered background with plenty of open space, genuine smiles and movement, candid and unposed, true-to-life skin tones, one small pop of red in wardrobe or props, shallow depth of field. No text, no logos, no watermarks, no hospital branding.
Find your people.Or bring them together.
Local groups and chapters are where Voices for Sickle Cell becomes the people on your street. Find one near you, join it, or start one.
Groups near you
No group in your area yet. You can start one.
It takes one person and a place to meet. We will walk with you from the first conversation to the first meeting.
Two ways to gather
Start small with a Local Group. Grow into a Chapter when you are ready.
Artlist prompt
Five people around a living-room coffee table with snacks and mugs, relaxed, one person telling a story with her hands while the others laugh. Bright, clean lifestyle photograph, soft natural daylight, light and uncluttered background with plenty of open space, genuine smiles and movement, candid and unposed, true-to-life skin tones, one small pop of red in wardrobe or props, shallow depth of field. No text, no logos, no watermarks, no hospital branding.
Local Group
A small circle that meets for connection: at a church, on a campus, around a clinic community, or online.
- Who leads
- One host and one backup
- How it starts
- A short form and agreement to the community guidelines
- On the site
- A listing in the finder with meeting details and a Join button
- What it does
- Hosts meetups, points people to resources, invites members to share stories
- What is next
- Can apply to become a Chapter
Artlist prompt
A chapter leader in her 40s standing and welcoming a seated group of about twenty people in a library meeting room, a plain deep-red tablecloth on the sign-in table. Bright, clean lifestyle photograph, soft natural daylight, light and uncluttered background with plenty of open space, genuine smiles and movement, candid and unposed, true-to-life skin tones, one small pop of red in wardrobe or props, shallow depth of field. No text, no logos, no watermarks, no hospital branding.
Chapter
The official Voices for Sickle Cell presence in a city or county.
- Who leads
- Two or more trained co-leaders
- How it starts
- An application, a conversation with the organization, and a signed chapter agreement
- On the site
- A full chapter page
- What it does
- Everything a group does, plus local events and campaigns, speaking locally under the Voices for Sickle Cell name, and raising funds through the organization’s donation tool
- What is next
- Renewed each year
Starting a chapter, start to first meeting
Raise your hand
A short form: who you are, the area you would serve, your connection to sickle cell, and a co-leader’s name.
Talk with us
One conversation about fit, expectations, and the support your chapter will get.
Sign the chapter agreement
Brand use, code of conduct, privacy rules, no medical advice, and how money is handled.
Get trained
Running a meeting, story consent, what to do when someone is in crisis, and using the leader hub.
Go live as “Forming”
Your chapter page opens and starts collecting local sign-ups.
Hold your first meeting
Your page changes to “Active” and your chapter appears on the events calendar.
Not ready to lead a chapter? Host a Local Group, or join the ambassador program.
Artlist prompt
Flat-lay on a white tabletop: a blank clipboard sign-in sheet, a stack of blank flyers, name-tag stickers, a red folder, a yellow pen and a coffee cup, neatly arranged, soft overhead light. All paper blank, no printed words. Bright, clean lifestyle photograph, soft natural daylight, light and uncluttered background with plenty of open space, genuine smiles and movement, candid and unposed, true-to-life skin tones, one small pop of red in wardrobe or props, shallow depth of field. No text, no logos, no watermarks, no hospital branding.
You will not start from scratch.
Every leader gets a starter kit and a place on this site.
- Your own page: “Voices for Sickle Cell [City]”
- Logo lockup, flyer, and social templates
- First-meeting agenda and sign-in sheet
- Story consent form
- A leader hub to post events and updates
- Training before your first meeting
How we keep every chapter safe
Approval stays central
The organization approves every group, every leader, and every public story.
Money stays central
Gifts go through the organization’s donation tool with a chapter tag. No chapter bank accounts or cash donations at the start.
No medical advice
Leaders share experience and point to resources. They do not advise on treatment.
Young people are protected
Anyone under 18 joins with a parent or guardian. Youth groups are led by adults the organization has vetted.
One brand
Chapters use the supplied lockup and templates. No chapter makes its own logo.
No empty rooms
A chapter that goes quiet is marked “Paused,” so the finder never sends anyone to a meeting that is not happening.
Nothing about our community without our community.
Stay close to the work
Stories, events, and ways to act. A few emails a month.
Voices forSickle Cell
To raise awareness, amplify voices, and support the Sickle Cell community through education, advocacy, and collaboration.
Explore
Voices for Sickle Cell provides community education and resource information. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For urgent medical concerns, contact your healthcare provider or call 911.
SKY cannot give medical advice. For symptoms or treatment questions, contact your care team. In an emergency, call 911.