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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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Find Stories

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

Search Results: 180 Stories
Rushville Fire Truck

USDA Assists in Protecting Residents and Firefighters

The 890 rural residents of the city of Rushville are currently served by a 1974 pumper truck that was refurbished in 1994. The vehicle lacks 4x4 wheel drive which is critical during poor weather conditions.  Also, the truck can't pump and roll simultaneously, and does not… [Read More]
Nebraska
Community FacilitiesDisaster
Lakes Andes Fire Truck

Improving the Efficiency and Delivery of Fire Protection Services

The focus of any fire department is to reduce deaths and injury due to fire related hazards. Having protective clothing as well as updated trucks and equipment is vital, which improves the efficiency and delivery of fire protection services. The Lake Andes-Ravinia Fire… [Read More]
South Dakota
Community Facilities
2020-01-16 - Lane Head Start Buses

Lane Head Start Receives Two New Buses

Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Counsel  recently was awarded two Community Facilities Grants totaling $99,900 to enable them to purchase two buses for the Lane head Start facility located in lane, South Carolina.  The Counsel matched funds for their contribution of $80… [Read More]
South Carolina
Community Facilities
2020-01-28 - Limestone College Groundbreaking

Big News for Limestone College

Ceremonial shovels were standing ready for a groundbreaking ceremony that was held at Limestone College located in Gaffney, South Carolina on January 28, 2020 celebrating a $38 Million Investment from USDA Rural Development which will enable the college to build a new Library… [Read More]
South Carolina
Community Facilities
Camp Nelson Interpretive Center, Nicholasville, KY

Jessamine County preserves Civil War history with help from Rural Development

Just a few minutes south on Route 27 from Nicholasville is arguably one of the most important Civil War locations in the commonwealth. At the start of the Civil War, Kentucky declared its neutrality, but when the Confederacy tried to take the state by force in 1861, the… [Read More]
Kentucky
Community Facilities
The state-of-the-art Curry General Hospital offers quality healthcare and expanded medical services in Gold Beach and the surrounding area.

A Rural Hospital Success Story

While stories abound about rural hospitals closing across the country, Curry General Hospital on the southern Oregon coast demonstrates how a rural hospital can expand and thrive. In Gold Beach, residents were served by a small, outdated facility that was built in the 1950s and… [Read More]
Oregon
Community FacilitiesHealth Care
Bamberg County Fire Chiefs

Bamberg County Gets Three New Fire Engine Pumper Tankers

Bamberg County recently was awarded three, Community Facility Combo Loan/Grant projects totaling $690,300 in loans and $149,700 in grants.  These awards allowed Bamberg County to purchase three new fully equipped Fire Engine Pumper Tankers to replace their aging fleet.… [Read More]
South Carolina
Community Facilities
Presbyterian College Dorm

Presbyterian College to Expand by Constructing a 144-Bed Student Dormitory

Presbyterian College recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 7, 2019 to celebrate the completion of a 144-bed student dormitory.  The event included tours of the dormitory which, by the way, is not your typical dorm room.  The complex features prime… [Read More]
South Carolina
Community Facilities

Building a Village to Provide Excellent Care for Seniors

In 1982, after suffering from a farm accident, Helen Scott was sent from her Oklahoma farm to Asbury Park’s Rehab House in Newton, Kan. Initially, therapist thought it would take Scott up to a year in the Rehab House to recover from her injury. In one month, Scott was back on… [Read More]
Kansas
Community Facilities

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