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Success Stories

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods. For many, crabbing, oystering, and ecotourism are what puts dollars in their bank accounts, and food on their tables. In rural communities…

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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 154 Stories
Photo: The volunteers that make up the Wheeler County Search and Rescue team now have the necessary equipment to safely conduct rescues and treat patients.

Help is On the Way: Equipping a Rural Search and Rescue Team

Wheeler County Search and Rescue, as with many rural emergency departments, has a limited budget and could not afford essential equipment. This entirely volunteer team borrowed supplies from the Sheriff’s Office, but most volunteers provided their equipment, and the medics even… [Read More]
The volunteer firefighters in Reedsport, Oregon, gather around their new fire pumper truck as it is delivered.

USDA Helps Rural Fire Department Replace Essential Equipment

For a small, volunteer fire department, the high cost of equipment can be a significant challenge. That was the case for the Reedsport Fire Department on the central Oregon coast. Their fire pumper truck was past its useful life and posed safety issues. Chief Tom Anderson could… [Read More]
WI_North_Lakes_Clinic

Fighting the Opioid Epidemic in Northern WI

According to the Department of Health Services, 827 people died in Wisconsin of opioid overdose deaths in 2016. From 2000 to 2016, the number of deaths in Wisconsin due to prescription opioids increased 600 percent, from 81 to 568 in 2016. The Lakes Community Health Center, Inc… [Read More]

Quality, Affordable Health Care in Lytle, TX

Striving to meet the needs of medically underserved rural communities, Atascosa Health Center, Inc., sought out funding from USDA Rural Development to purchase and relocate to a much larger facility in Lytle, TX The new facility, which is approximately 8,500 square feet, has… [Read More]