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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: 893 Stories
Ashley's home and family

Creating a Legacy: Ashley Elk Nation builds forever home in Badger Park

Submitted by Four Bands Community FundAshley Elk Nation had been living in a single-wide mobile home in Eagle Butte with her two sons for several years. Although she owned the home, her desire to do her best for her children was tugging her towards a safer neighborhood."I wanted… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHousingRural DevelopmentTribal
A stunned mother and daughter watch flood waters overtake State Street and the Vermont Capitol lawn

RD Partners Up to Help VT Communities Impacted by Disaster

When natural disaster strikes, rural communities across America struggle to capitalize on state, federal and nonprofit funding. Local leaders are often unpaid volunteers already donating significant time to various municipal functions, so the extra hours, energy and expertise… [Read More]
Vermont and New Hampshire
Disaster
Southern Idaho Solid Waste, Burley ID

Beyond the Landfill: Big Improvements for Southern Idaho’s Solid Waste System

With an overflow of waste, protecting public health and the environment begins with responsible waste management. In Southern Idaho, the Southern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District (SISW) is taking charge by making upgrades to their regions district that serves a… [Read More]
Idaho
EnvironmentalRural DevelopmentSolid Waste
USDA Rural Development Utah Staff, Samantha Holiday, and Meghan McFall tour the Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii Community Center in Monument Valley, Utah.

USDA Investments Offer Support to Utah Tribes

Monument Valley, Utah is known for its iconic red sandstone buttes, cliffs, desert vistas and mesas. It is also the sacred heart of the Navajo Nation. The people who live among the beautiful scenic landscapes of Monument Valley have deep connections to the land and their native… [Read More]
Utah
CORERural DevelopmentTribal
Lab Technician at Exceptional Hospital Bullhead City Looks Into Microscope.

Putting the Exceptional in Exceptional Healthcare

Exceptional Community Hospital in Bullhead City first opened its doors in November 2023 Exceptional Healthcare is growing in service of rural Arizona. The community hospital provider has recently added facilities in Prescott Valley and… [Read More]
Arizona
First RespondersHealth Care
Staff member shows new facility

Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations at the Laona Rescue Unit in Northern Wisconsin

Emergency services in the rural Laona area are enhanced and streamlined through a Community Facilities project funded in part with a $2,093,000.00 grantAn inspirational sign* at the new Laona Rescue Unit facility reads: “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations.” That is… [Read More]
Wisconsin
Health Care
Three men and three women pose in front of a CT machine at CA Dean hospital.

“The People” Make It Special: Grant Helps Maine’s Smallest Hospital Provide Emergency Services and Life-Saving Care to Rural Northern Communities

For more than a hundred years, a small hospital has operated in Greenville, Maine, making essential health services available in one of the most rural parts of the state—the region surrounding Moosehead Lake in Piscataquis County.Heavily forested Piscataquis County is Maine’s… [Read More]
Maine
Health Care
Officials gather for the grand opening of Central Lakes College's new mobile meat processing facility.

Central Lakes College Facility Addresses Increased Demand for Meat Processing

In recent years, the need to train meat cutters and butchers has increased across the nation. Despite already having a robust butchery program, Central Lakes College (CLC) is taking further action to address this demand. The college’s campus in Staples recently held a grand… [Read More]
Minnesota
Community CollegesFood Supply
Man standing in front of grocery store.

Energy Grant Helps Local Grocery Serve Neighbors and Community

New energy efficient lighting illuminates the well-stocked produce section of Albert’s Fresh Market in Grafton, Ohio. USDA Photo.  Small businesses are the heartbeat of rural communities, helping them thrive by providing goods,… [Read More]
Ohio
BusinessEnergy
Scott and Melissa Holt with their two cows in front of the Bistro

From Cow to Cone: Local Bistro Offers Fresh Take on Ice Cream

When Scott and Melissa Holt moved to Hot Springs, their plan was to retire. They started as a small farmer’s market selling meat, farm produce and homemade ice cream. Soon they saw the demand for their specialty ice cream grow – even in the dead of winter.People would come to… [Read More]
South Dakota
Local FoodsRural DevelopmentSmall Business

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