About the project
Stories help us understand how care workers support health in rural areas and explain the numbers and facts about rural health.
Our goal is to motivate and support people working to improve rural health so that they can talk about their work, ideas, and how they make a difference. Through storytelling, we can better understand rural communities' strengths and needs.
In October 2024, we worked with M. Barney to offer online storytelling. Telling these stories built trust, encouraged new ideas, and helped people work together to solve rural health problems.
Listen to the stories
Key findings
- Stories help when there isn’t much data: In small towns or communities, there might not be enough people to collect strong health data. This can lead to those communities being left out when it comes to getting help or funding. Sharing real stories from these places helps show what they need and what strengths they already have. This can help funders and leaders pay attention and offer support.
- Sharing stories encourages openness: When people tell stories about why they care about staying healthy it can inspire others. These stories can help people understand the importance of staying healthy. They also show that strong relationships can grow from taking care of ourselves.
- Be thoughtful when telling stories: People in the training said it’s important to tell stories in a respectful way. Stories should show the strength of the person or community and not the organization. The people in the story should be seen as the heroes.
- Storytelling helps build trust: When people are asked to share their stories, they should be treated as experts in their own lives. It’s important to be honest, listen carefully, and ask for feedback during the process.
- Stories can change how we see things: People in the training said that stories helped them see their work in new ways.
- Stories can show different points of view: They help us improve our listening and understanding of each other.
- Storytelling is a powerful way to speak up: Stories can help connect people with leaders and decision-makers, making it easier to bring about real change.
- Storytelling builds strength: When people share stories, they see that others understand them. It helps them feel connected and supported, which strengthens communities.
For full details on our findings, read the event report (PDF).