Highlighting Rural America's Collective Progress
Hi Neighbor,
The hard work, resilience, and tenacity of small towns are obscured when we allow damaging stereotypes to threaten our national unity. Perceived political divides don't paint a full picture of the way that people are coming together in rural places to improve and fight for their communities.
The stories below offer an antidote. There, you'll find a series of photos and videos that present firsthand accounts from local workers and families who are making good things happen in their rural communities. With federal funding as the tool, these good folks are expanding businesses and community services by innovating and cutting costs, confronting change, building infrastructure, and moving towards a more resilient future.
Before we begin, a question for you. Do you have a story to tell? Together, we can work to shift local narratives by telling our own stories, in our own languages, and from our own lived experiences.
Pastor JB Hurt's Lifeline Church of God in Princeton, West Virginia, is one of the 2,500 solar systems that have been installed on houses of worship in the US as of 2021 (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). With help from the Rural Energy for America Program, money saved on utilities goes directly to programs that serve the community.
Driving long distances across rural Arizona to deliver mental health care has been a longstanding challenge for Betsy Yurgel, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and naturopathic doctor with the Pinal Hispanic Council. With the introduction of telemedicine funded by a Rural Emergency Health Care grant through the American Rescue Plan Act, the council has been able to bring telehealth technology to rural healthcare delivery. "Telemedicine helps with consistency of care," Yurgel shared. "It allows them to save time in their day, save gas money, and save stress.”
As you explore the stories shared here, we hope you see a reflection of the spirit that defines our rural communities — a spirit rooted in determination and innovation. Alice, Betsy, Pastor Hurt, and their neighbors exemplify how local initiative, combined with federal support, can truly transform our landscapes, both physically and socially. Their stories remind us that we should pause to see and listen to local people, rather than accept dominant narratives.
If you're ready to share your story, our lines are open. Here's to building a stronger, more connected rural America — one story at a time.
In Gratitude,
Resource Rural