At the March 2026 monthly membership meeting of RVDW, Lynlee Thorne, Political Director of Rural GroundGame, challenged attendees to embrace a critical truth: We must support rural Virginians to prevent the further decline of the Democratic image in rural Virginia.
But what does “support” actually look like? Lynlee didn’t leave that unanswered: “We must directly and consistently engage with rural Virginians—listen, ask questions, learn, and work collaboratively on solutions to the challenges rural communities face.”
The Storyteller Project is doing exactly that—literally giving voice to communities that have been silenced or ignored, elevating communities too often left out of the narrative—and sidelined by the policies that follow.
The Storyteller Project
“When people speak from their lived experiences, they break through propaganda, fear, and disinformation. They humanize the issues. “
Rural GroundGame
Storytellers are real people sharing real, personal experiences. And that matters.
“They aren’t just powerful—it’s a radical act of resistance. Personal stories are not just persuasive—they’re revolutionary.”
“When people speak from their lived experiences, they break through propaganda, fear, and disinformation. They humanize the issues.” They remind us of our shared values. And they reach others in ways no polished, top-down message ever could.
Join the Movement
You can help amplify these voices. Share these videos. Grow the library of videos.
Rural GroundGame trains volunteers to serve as “Storykeepers”—capturing authentic stories using nothing more than a smartphone. Those stories are then turned into short videos and shared across platforms—both free and paid—targeted to audiences who rarely hear messages from people like them.
To learn more about Rural Groundgame, The Storyteller Project, and all of their work, contact Lynlee Thorne at hello@ruralgroundgame.org or lynlee@ruralgroundgame.org
