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Success Stories

A mother and three daughters pose around a dining room table. There are lace curtains and blue wall in the background and some dishes on the table in the foreground.

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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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: 888 Stories
Ariel and Mike holding a home sweet home picture frame in front of Ariel's home

A heart warmed in the heat of Summer

As the early morning temperature rises to 75 degrees, you know it will be another hot summer day. As you walk up the sidewalk leading to Ariel’s house, you are greeted by the symphony of singing birds, and beautiful sunflowers adorning flower beds along the porch. Ariel… [Read More]
Missouri
HomeownershipHousingRural Development
Janie's home

Housing Repair Grants Uplifting Ohio Community

For nearly 60 years the Pickaway County Community Action Organization (PICCA) has worked to improve the quality of life for families and individuals in Circleville, Ohio, and the surrounding area.     By offering programs… [Read More]
Ohio
Home Repair
Summer Meadows project renderings were on display at the development groundbreaking in June.

Summer Meadows Housing Development Helps Bridge Alexandria's Affordability Gap

Affordable housing is a prominent issue throughout the country, and with home values rising faster than incomes, city officials are looking for solutions to address the affordability gap. The City of Alexandria is one step closer to bridging this gap by breaking ground on Summer… [Read More]
Minnesota
Housing
In 2021, USDA Rural Development in Pennsylvania partnered with Schwenksville Borough to turn their former firehouse into a borough hall and community center.

USDA Helps Fund New Borough Hall in Schwenksville

In 2021, USDA Rural Development in Pennsylvania partnered with Schwenksville Borough to turn their former firehouse into a borough hall and community center. The Borough utilized the USDA RD Community Facilities program with a low-interest loan to renovate the property to meet… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Community Facilities
Brian Eng of Sustaine and the three owners of The Bankery and Skowhegan Fleuriste stand on the sidewalk in front of The Bankery with other businesses visible in the background.

Reaping Savings, Employee Retention, and a Better Workplace Culture with REAP TAG

Transitioning to renewable energy or committing to significant energy efficiency improvements requires major investments of time and capital for a business. It helps to have a trusted advisor to navigate the process. In October 2023, USDA Rural Development in Maine announced… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEnergyREAPRenewable EnergySmall Business
Group photo of Theatre Guild of Buchanan County members in the Community Arts Mainstage building

Theater Takes Center Stage in Buchanan County

They may not be quite as colorful as their counterparts from the acclaimed 1989 film, but the women behind the Theatre Guild of Buchanan County are “Steel Magnolias” in their own right with a fierce commitment to lifting up their community and providing an artistic outlet for… [Read More]
Virginia
Community Facilities
NJ resident Antonia Santos stands in front of repaired home.

A Restoration of Relief

In the neighborhood of Mount Holly, New Jersey, amidst leafy streets and usually friendly faces, resides Antonia Santos, a spirited retiree with a knack for do-it-yourself projects. Her story intertwines perseverance, a few helping hands, and a work ethic that can’t be disrupted… [Read More]
New Jersey
Home Repair
A man and a woman are pictured seated at a table, talking and taking notes. Other people work at the same table and other tables in the background. There is abstract artwork on the walls in the background.

Building Community Strength Ten Rural Towns at a Time: GrowSmart Maine Brings Local Leaders to the Table

Rural communities across Maine may share many of the same goals, but collaboration can be difficult when they are separated by great distance and challenging roads. What’s more, small towns often have lean staffs, making it especially hard to make time for strategic planning. (… [Read More]
Maine
Economic DevelopmentRCDI
The Climate Fellow described in the story is pictured at an outdoor table interacting with a community member who is reading a pamphlet she shows him. There is a blue building, a Mount Desert Island School bus, and trees in the background. The event pictured is in a parking lot, with balloons in the near background.

Impact Beyond Measure: Maine Nonprofit Builds Climate Resilience and the Leaders of Tomorrow with RCDI Grant from USDA

Where can residents of small coastal and island communities in Maine turn for help with critical, labor-intensive projects? Residents of the Mount Desert Island town of Tremont recently worked with Island Institute Fellow Brianna… [Read More]
Maine
GrantsRCDIRenewable Energy
Four men stand in front of a fertilizer production plant under construction in Montana.

More Fertilizer, Better Service, Less Carbon!

Since 1997 Town & Country Supply Association merged with two other cooperatives to provide high quality fertilizer products and on-site services at competitive prices to Montana’s farmers and ranchers. The rural community of Lockwood, Montana, is home to Town & Country’s… [Read More]
Montana
Fertilizer Production Expansion ProgramFood Supply

Additional Success Stories