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Success Stories

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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: 50 Stories

Rebuilding a Family and Community Legacy in Northampton County

While Virginia’s Eastern Shore is known for its majestic sunsets, beaches and rural country living, a short drive off the main roads of Northampton County reveals a persistent poverty area dotted with aging homes that residents have little or no means to repair. Many properties… [Read More]
Virginia

Packaging Purchases AND Production to Put More Virginia Families into New Homes

Who doesn’t love breaking open a fortune cookie to find the hidden message inside? The vague prophesies are more fun than fact but intriguing, nonetheless. In Farmville, Va., Piedmont Habitat for Humanity is turning that concept on its head by putting two sturdily constructed… [Read More]
Virginia

Positioning a Virginia Airport for Landing More and Bigger Clients

While on-time takeoffs and landings are big on the lists of most casual flyers, owners of private and corporate aircraft look for world-class service and hangar space when selecting an airport. The Shenandoah Valley Airport (SHD) was high on the first and beyond capacity on the… [Read More]
Virginia

Taming an Energy Hog to Support a Growing Community in Elkton

Wastewater treatment is one of those services that most folks only think about when something goes wrong. In Elkton, Va., the quaint brick manholes of this scenic Shenandoah Valley community were covering a simmering issue with the sewer lines below. The treatment plant was… [Read More]
Virginia

'Going the Extra Mile' to Provide Post-Pandemic Health Services

While the number and severity of new cases may be down, the coronavirus continues to have a devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable members of the population. The youth served through the Harvest Outreach Center (HOC) in Rustburg, Va., are the faces of a national… [Read More]
Virginia

Increasing Abundance with Native Communities Cooperative Development Training

Cooperatives are designed to meet the common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations of a group. Making sure the group’s values and cultural dynamics are honored is fundamental to successful cooperative development; this makes the co-op model attractive to many… [Read More]
Virginia

Strength in Members: Cooperative Home Care Resiliency in a Time of Crisis

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, home care cooperatives were a beacon of hope for overburdened health care workers and the industry that faced its breaking point. Many workers who wanted a stake in the day-to-day operations turned to the cooperative business model, which allows… [Read More]
Virginia

Gum Springs Resident Takes “Pride” in Being a Homeowner

Matthew Romig never really saw themselves as a homeowner, or if they did, the visions they had were of a small one- or two-bedroom house with little to no land. “I still wake up sometimes wondering where I am, really it's weird. I mean, I've lived all kinds of places,” Matthew… [Read More]
Virginia

A Hero in Farmville

On January 14 this year Henry Smith stepped off of a plane and onto Belgian soil for the first time in more than 70 years. Right away the setting was familiar to him. “It’s going to snow,” he said to his family as the chill in the air and low-hanging clouds echoed conditions he… [Read More]
Virginia

A P.U.S.H. for Homeownership in Galax

Jill Burcham has spent the last nine years building P.U.S.H. Ministries, an organization in Galax that today helps nearly 800 people per month put food on tables, learn life skills, transition from prison and climb out of addiction. This year, in an attempt to further help her… [Read More]
Virginia