Language & identity01
When do you feel free to speak in your own voice?
Accent, expression, and the courage to try.
Stories of belonging across Virginia
We are
already here.
Let’s belong
together.
Every person has a story about finding their place. Here, Together listens for the connections that help us build a life—and a community—in Virginia.
A place to begin01 / ∞
What does
it take
to belong?
One question. Many ways of being.
Listening is where connection begins.
01 / Place
Richmond roots. Virginia stories.
02 / Practice
Listen. Reflect. Connect.
03 / Beginning
A small pilot. An open question.
A stronger community
begins with being heard.
A parent navigating a child’s school. A neighbor finding confidence in a new language. A teacher learning from their students. Everyday experiences can reveal what makes belonging possible.
Through recorded conversations and shared reflection, this project explores the people, places, and relationships that help Virginians connect across difference.
The threads that connect us
There’s a story in the everyday.
Questions we hope to explore.
Not yet participant stories.
Learning & possibility02
Who helped you feel included?
Schools, teachers, and doors that open.
Place & connection03
What makes a new place feel like home?
Neighbors, shared rituals, and everyday welcome.
The proposed pilot / Fall 2026
3–4conversations to start something.
01Shared listening gathering
$1,000Proposed seed budget
Small enough to listen closely
Help a good question
take root.
The first chapter is intentionally small: a handful of conversations, stories reviewed by the people who share them, and a gathering to reflect on what we hear.
Your support can help test a thoughtful approach to community storytelling—and reveal what deserves to grow.
See the pilot & budgetA few good questions.
Is this already a published story collection?
The project is at the proposed pilot stage. The first conversations and listening gathering will help shape what comes next. No participant stories are published on this prototype.
Where will the project begin?
The pilot is rooted in Richmond, with participants recruited through relationships in Richmond and across Virginia. A larger statewide effort is a future possibility.
Who is invited to participate?
The initial pilot will begin with adults. Potential participants include immigrants, refugees, educators, parents, community leaders, advocates, and longtime Virginia residents.
There’s room for you here
What could we build
here, together?
A conversation, a connection, a place to begin. Help make this small pilot possible.
Explore the funding opportunity