What does it look like when a nonprofit stops parachuting in and starts following a community's lead? In this episode, Christine sits down with longtime colleagues Emma Kelly and Kara Dotten of the New Economy team at Appalachian Voices. Emma lives in Lee County and Kara in Wise County, both rooted in the coalfields of far Southwest Virginia. Through the Community Strong initiative, they've walked alongside five small towns—Dante, Clinchco, Pennington Gap, Pound, and Dungannon—listening, returning, and listening again, until residents' own priorities became a reality. Ideas turn into funded projects including: a flood-prone, abandoned grocery building demolished to make way for a flood-mitigating park, a historic train depot on its way to becoming a solar-powered resilience hub, and an aquatic center celebrating the Clinch River carrying a beloved mayor's legacy forward. Emma and Kara share hard-won lessons on building trust: respecting the hyper-local wisdom of each place even when you're from the region, showing up messy and honest instead of polished, compensating residents as the experts they are, and committing to communities "in perpetuity, as long as they want us." They also open up about leaving and coming home, the humor and pride of people living Appalachia rather than touring it, and how they stay grounded (and avoid burnout) in work that always feels urgent. It's a warm, wise, and practical conversation for anyone who wants to help their community rise from the ground up. Welcome to the Yes! We Rise Podcast! KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR CHANGE-MAKERS · Go to the experts—the community. Residents at every level are the true experts in their place. Without them, you're working with an incomplete picture. · Don't just ask—return. Community Strong held three rounds of meetings in each town so residents could refine, prioritize, and help decide what to seek funding for, instead of a one-and-done listening session. · Respect the hyper-local. Even people from the region don't automatically understand the culture or flooding issues of the next town over. Bring a beginner's mind. · Be human, not polished. Being honest, messy, goofy, and vulnerable builds more trust than showing up as the experts. · Make participation possible. Food, stipends, welcoming kids (with giant sticky notes at kid level to draw on), and welcoming residents' knowledge as professional expertise all matter. · Go deep, not wide. Focusing on five communities for the long haul beats doing a half job in many places. · Tangible results build momentum. When people know construction funding is in place, they know they're not speaking into the void. · Take care of yourself. Take time off—this work can burn you out, and you need rest to return at your best. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS & CHAPTERS · [00:00] Welcome and introductions: Emma Kelly and Kara Dotten of Appalachian Voices · [00:44] Appalachian Voices and the New Economy Program—clean water, black lung benefits, and community visions across the seven coalfield counties · [02:56] Why community vision comes first: no more organizations "parachuting in" · [04:49] Building trust: respecting hyper-local cultures and showing up honest, messy, and human · [08:03] Emma's path: from Bell County, Kentucky, and a family of park rangers to cultural anthropology · [09:24] Kara's path: trying to leave, falling in love with home, and coming back to Wise · [12:02] Painting a picture of Southwest Virginia: Clinch River biodiversity, High Knob, inherent trust, and memories embedded in the land · [14:39] "Appalachia is trendy": the humor and pride of living it versus touring it · [15:34] Christine reflects on land, storytelling, ways of knowing, and the fear of change · [18:32] Community Strong: listening sessions, stipends and food, and building ownership · [20:23] Common themes: flood resilience, green space, economic development, and the need for a place to be connected · [21:45] Why these five communities—and why going deep beats going wide · [24:02] Entrenched challenges: infrastructure, flooding, and feeling ignored by higher levels of government · [26:26] Pennington Gap with Emma: from an abandoned, flood-prone grocery building to a flood-mitigating park with an accessible playground and fishing pier · [30:06] Getting to know Pennington Gap (about 1,500 people) and Dungannon (about 289 people) · [31:14] Dungannon with Kara, the "Heart of the Clinch": Mayor Horne's legacy, a new community association, and a solar-powered depot resilience hub · [34:10] "In perpetuity": partnering for as long as communities want them · [35:14] What is a resilience hub—and why it matters in rural communities · [36:21] What holds communities back, and the leverage points that move them forward · [39:48] Engagement best practices: food, stipends, kids welcome, and compensating local experts · [42:07] Remembering Mayor Horne and Letting Love Lead Yes! We Rise podcast episode · [44:30] Staying grounded: running, theater, mushroom foraging, yoga, pets, family—and community partners who inspire · [46:43] Lessons learned: be humble, cede power, take time off, and know the legislative process is there for you · [48:46] How to connect with Appalachian Voices and closing reflections NOTABLE QUOTES From Emma "We're all people trying to figure out how to work through this together." "They know it's not just planning, they know they're not speaking into the void." From Kara "Just because I'm from Wise doesn't mean that I get to speak on Clinchco." "No one's actually willing to sit down with the community and say like, hey, sorry, this didn't work and here's why. They just leave." From Emma and Kara "Community members at all levels are the true experts in their community. And if we want to make lasting change, if we want to make effective change, you have to go to the experts." "It's not just showing up and asking, it's also returning." "It's not just asking communities what they want, but asking the communities how to make it happen." "Choosing five [communities] and choosing to focus in tight on those is better than doing a half job in a bunch of places where we're not able to have those deep relationships." LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED · Appalachian Voices — visit the website, sign up for the (geo-targeted) mailing list, and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky · Community Strong — Appalachian Voices' community-led initiative in Dante, Clinchco, Pennington Gap, Pound, and Dungannon · Mineland Releaf Project — shared by Emma and Kara · Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia — shared by Emma and Kara · Yes! We Rise Episode 9: Letting Love Lead with Mayor Horne of Dungannon, Virginia Other organizations and programs mentioned: EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving grant, The Nature Conservancy's Cumberland Forest Fund, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, Appalachian Regional Commission READY Local Governments, Environmental Defense Fund, Monuments Across Appalachian Places, Virginia Master Naturalists, and the Pro-Art Association. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Emma Kelly Emma Kelly is the New Economy Program Manager at Appalachian Voices. Originally from Bell County, Kentucky, Emma holds both a B.A. and M.A. in cultural anthropology, focusing on human rights and environmental justice in Appalachia. She is passionate about bringing in as many voices as possible to help build a sustainable and just future for Appalachian communities from the ground up. Her work with Appalachian Voices is centered around equitable collaboration with local communities, building resilience from the ground up, and bringing in funding to make communities' visions come true. Emma currently lives in Lee County and loves hiking, gaming, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and furbabies. Kara Dotten Kara Dotten is the New Economy Program Coordinator at Appalachian Voices and a graduate of the UVA Wise Visual & Performing Arts Program. She is a Virginia Master Naturalist and offers monthly hikes and nature-based learning opportunities for her community. She is also an active board member for the Pro-Art Association and a volunteer for local stewardship and outdoor recreation projects. In her spare time, Kara enjoys running, hiking, backpacking, and nature photography. She lives in Norton, Virginia. ABOUT THE PODCAST The Yes! We Rise podcast is produced by Dialogue + Design Associates, with music by Drishti Beats. Follow the We Rise podcast on Facebook and Instagram. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast so we can continue spreading our message far and wide. Find our email list at the website: www.yeswerise.org. Thanks for listening.