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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
Consultants Key to Energy Grants

Consultants Key to Energy Grants

Nearly 300 South Dakota agricultural producers and small businesses have reduced their energy costs – and increased their bottom line - with help from local consultants.  Mike Twedt and Larry Jensen have helped these recipients by providing energy assessments and technical… [Read More]
South Dakota
REAP
Village of Harrison Well Controls

Dependable, Clean Water Strengthens Village Infrastructure

The Village of Harrison found itself with an aged water infrastructure.  Nitrates were too high and did not meet the State Water Drinking Act.  Water mains were 40-50 years old, leaking, breaking, and were either cast-iron or galvanized pipe.  Water meters had… [Read More]
Nebraska
InfrastructureWater
Picture of Kayla Caines and her son

Desperate Mom Finds Help in Rural Development Programs

Her story with Rural Development began in June of 2008 when the company she had been working for went under.  The unemployed, recently divorced, single mother needed a job and place for her family to live.  By September, Kayla Caines managed to land a waitress job, but… [Read More]
Wyoming
HomeownershipMulti-Family
OMB

Developing New Markets for Waste

In 2004, Joel and Jean Garland began operating a value added wood products business. In little more than a decade that sawmill has adapted, innovated, persisted, and advanced, all while remaining grounded in the small rural community of Lillie, Louisiana. Joel identified… [Read More]
Louisiana
BusinessWastewaterWater
Dream of Homeownership Becomes Reality

Dream of Homeownership Becomes Reality

Earlier this year, Nancy Griffin of Dyer County decided she no longer wanted to rent an apartment that was too small for her family. With the idea of wanting a bigger home, she set out to explore what financing options were available. Griffin’s realtor Thelma Stutts of First… [Read More]
Tennessee
Homeownership
Dreams Become Reality for Single Mom

Dreams Become Reality for Single Mom

Single Mother, Erin Watterson, had a dream to someday become a homeowner. Working in a lower wage profession, Erin realized the only way to make her dream come true was to move back home. Determined and hardworking, Erin and her son, Devon, moved back with her family for a few… [Read More]
New Jersey
Homeownership
Robert Simon stands in front of his new well in Spalding, California, giving the thumbs up sign.

Drilling Relief in Drought-Damaged Lakeshore Town

When the water level runs low at Eagle Lake, the fate of an entire community hangs in the balance. The tiny community of Spalding, California depends on Eagle Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in the state, for campground visitors, summer home vacationers and, above all,… [Read More]
California
Home Repair
Urgent Care sign on building

Durango Colorado's Alternative Emergency Room

As with many rural communities across the nation, Durango, CO has a limited number of primary care physicians.  The Affordable Health Care Act has added additional individuals to the health care market across the nation. Urgent care facilities are expected to fulfill the… [Read More]
Colorado
BusinessHealth Care
Wentworth Family Grocery is a long, low building with yellow siding, large glass doors, and stone trim around the base of the building.

Energy Efficiency Improvements for Northport Grocery Store

High energy usage is a widely recognized concern when operating a grocery store; lighting, compressors, heating, cooling all have a negative impact on the bottom line. John and Rhonda Wentworth, the owner’s of Wentworth Family Grocery in Northport, were determined to increase… [Read More]
Maine
EnergyREAP
Chad Mortensen outside his variety store

Energy Efficiency Improvements Increase Longevity of Small Business

Chad Mortensen is a third-generation owner and operator of Marion’s Variety shop and restaurant in Roosevelt, Utah. Chad’s great aunt Marion Mortensen opened the business in 1933 after emigrating from Denmark. Over a span of 36 years Marion changed locations along the main road… [Read More]
Utah
EnergyREAPRenewable Energy

Additional Success Stories