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Dear friend,
This year, I’ve had the privilege of visiting rural communities across the country while reporting and producing stories for the Daily Yonder, and one thing has been echoing in my head:
“Rural America is not a monolith.”
Environmental health and Buffalo restoration in Montana; folk music and faith in eastern Kentucky; water pollution in upstate New York; green energy in New Mexico; outdoor recreation in Texas; and mining in Idaho – I’ve been gathering stories like these about the complexities and nuances of our rural communities all year, and I hope you might be willing to support our newsroom, and me and my colleagues, as we do this important work.
The funny thing is that in spite of geographical and cultural differences, there are a lot of similarities. In every rural town and region I’ve visited, there are people – passionate, dedicated, inspired people – who are committed to making their home the best it can be. These are the teachers, the small business owners, the local government workers, the land managers, the activists, the nonprofits. The people who care deeply for their rural community.
When I tell people who live in cities I’m about to go visit XYZ rural region for work, I sometimes see a look that I recognize. It’s a poorly disguised “why would you ever go there?” look, the immediate writing-off of a place that this person has probably never spent any time in.
Very much to the contrary, by visiting these communities I’ve learned that there probably isn’t a single place I couldn’t love if I were given a tour through the eyes of someone who calls it home.
The best part of rural America, in my opinion, is the relationships.
It’s knowing the coffee shop workers and the bookstore owners and the bartenders and the mayor and nurses. It’s running into someone on a dirt road and leaning out the window for five minutes catching up. It’s being able to call up the next door neighbor (a mile down the road) and ask for a battery jump.
I, personally, live in a rural community like this. When I get to see other communities operating similarly, it feels like home wherever I go.
We are committed to continuing our work here at the Daily Yonder, showing both the differences and the similarities of the rural communities across the country that about 46 million people call home. Would you consider making a donation today to help us do this work? From now until December 31st your donations will be matched by generous matching grants, making your money go even further.
Sincerely,
Ilana Newman
Mountain West Multimedia Correspondent & Visual Editor
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Thanks to support from the Wyncote Foundation, the Rural Partner Fund, and other generous donors, contributions from individuals are eligible to be matched up to $1,000 per donor from November 1 to December 31, 2025. New monthly recurring donations are matched at the 12-month value of the donation, up to $1,000. For more details about eligibility see NewsMatch guidelines.
The Daily Yonder is a project of the Center for Rural Strategies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Gifts may be tax deductible; consult a tax adviser for more information.
The post Donate Now to Keep Our Reporters on the Road, Getting Rural Stories Right appeared first on The Daily Yonder.
