Unsinkable Storyteller: Lily Baker
Hi! I’m Lily (she/her), the founder of the Little Light Community Collective. We are a trauma-informed, peer-led platform and newsletter dedicated to hope, healing, and resilience. By centering lived experience, we aim to cultivate connection, understanding, and community well-being through storytelling and reflection.
I’ve been a mental health advocate for as long as I can remember. From the very beginning—through engaging in conversations, delivering presentations, and creating safe spaces for belonging and community—I have seen the vital importance of showing up and sharing. These community roots are the cornerstone of my journey, fueling a lifelong passion for mental health, trauma- and violence-informed care, education, and the values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
This initiative was born from my own search for light. Following my experiences with trauma, I struggled to find spaces where I felt truly seen or heard. I know how difficult it can be to find the right people to trust with your story and the heavy weight of feeling like you are carrying it alone.
I founded the Collective to make the light I once needed more accessible to those who need it now. I’ve seen, again and again, the transformative power of connection and storytelling. I wanted to create a space that could hold that power: a place where people could feel seen, heard, and supported in their healing.
The Spark That Came To Life
For months, I had been thinking about creating something of my own, and one image kept coming to mind: a dark space. A cave, a tunnel, a room without light. I’ve been there before—feeling alone, numb, and unsure where to turn. In those moments, light can seem impossible to find.
Yet even in the darkness, I’ve seen sparks of light. Sometimes, it’s something as simple as a kind word, a quiet moment, a shared story, or a gesture of care. A little piece of light.
This vision, the light in the dark, is what inspired the creation of the Little Light Community Collective.
Why Connection Matters
Many of us know what it’s like to feel isolated in our pain. Yet healing often arrives from unexpected places. I’ve found that it often comes from human connection. Being witnessed, being met with presence, and feeling less alone can be life-changing.
In Canada, 1 in 5 people experience a mental health challenge each year, and nearly two-thirds of adults will face at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. Yet many continue to struggle in silence, facing barriers to support. Connection, safety, and belonging are universal needs, and they are at the heart of our work.
In this space, we believe that: Every spark of connection has the potential to brighten someone’s path. Every story shared carries the power to inspire hope. Every act of care, however small, can remind someone they are not alone.
A Personal Insight
There is a unique beauty in spaces where we see ourselves reflected in others and others see themselves reflected in us. I’ve experienced this many times myself. Through my being vulnerable and sharing pieces of my story, I’ve felt incredibly connected. Connected to myself, but also to others and to their lived experiences.
When I have shared with the right people, even with my heart racing and nerves buzzing, it has been a light that I’ve carried with me ever since. While opening up is not always easy, when I have opened up and heard others’ stories, I have felt the same courage and vulnerability mirrored back. I felt connected. I felt community. I felt hope.
I’ve also seen this light manifest in conversations where I was in a supporting role, listening and offering presence. It reminded me that the light doesn’t have to be the sun; sometimes, it is just a small spark. That spark can carry immense meaning, offering reassurance in a moment of darkness. Witnessing this, and seeing others navigate challenges, has shown me the profound power of even the tiniest acts of care.
Moments like these remind me that we were never meant to carry our pain alone. Whether it’s group therapy, peer support, or simply finding someone who understands, these sparks of connection can bring solace and resilience.
Thank you for being here. For reading, for sharing, for witnessing. I’m so grateful to welcome you to this journey with me. Together, we can create spaces where every spark of light matters.
One story at a time. A little light. Shared, held, and multiplied.
With warmth and gratitude,
Lily Baker
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