We’re excited to share the very first episode of The Groundswell Way podcast, hosted by Matthew Wesley Williams, SVP for Community Development at Groundswell. This new series explores what resilience really means, and how local communities are defining and building it in real time.

Episode 1, Spinning Plates in a Hurricane, takes us to West Georgia and East Alabama, where small towns like LaGrange, West Point, and Lanett are navigating decades of disinvestment while coming together to strengthen community power.

Local mayors and residents share how home repairs and energy upgrades are transforming lives for seniors and families on fixed incomes. But with $20 million in federal funding suddenly disrupted, community leaders are rallying to ask: What does resilience mean in times like these?

Matthew sits down with Michelle Moore, CEO of Groundswell and author of Rural Renaissance, to unpack this pivotal moment. Together, they highlight three pillars of community resilience that shape Groundswell’s work:

• Access to critical resources and infrastructure

• Community connection and care

• Participation in local decision-making

This inspiring first episode widens the lens on resilience, showing how community power is built not just through technology, but through relationships, leadership, and shared care.

Listen to Spinning Plates in a Hurricane and subscribe to The Groundswell Way wherever you get your podcasts.

The Groundswell Way is a podcast about building community power through community development for wholistic resilience. Hosted by Matthew Wesley Williams, Senior Vice President of Community Development at Groundswell, this series dives into what resilience means, and what it really takes to build the everyday conditions that are built under blue skies and proven in storms.

Each episode explores the principles and practices that define The Groundswell Way, how we walk alongside communities to co-create sustainable systems rooted in shared values, belonging, and participation. Through real stories from places like Baltimore, Atlanta, and the rural South, we highlight how neighbors are shaping their own futures and cutting bills in half in the process.

This isn’t just about weathering the next crisis. It’s about building lasting connections and local infrastructure that serve communities every day.

Subscribe to The Groundswell Way wherever you get your podcasts.