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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: 183 Stories
Firefighter in front of fire truck

Java Fire District replaces oldest brush truck with modern upgrade

The expansive landscape of north central South Dakota provides fertile ground for farmers and ranchers. Due to the dry grasslands and warm summers, the area faces an elevated risk of wildfires.In the event of a wildfire, the 20 volunteers of the Java Fire District depend on its… [Read More]
South Dakota
Community FacilitiesFirst Responders
Greenville Town Manager Mike Roy stands in front of one of the town's fire trucks in the new public safety building.

Enhancing Public Safety in the Highlands of Maine

Located in the Highlands region of Maine, the town of Greenville has long been a vacation destination. In recent years, the community has welcomed even more visitors pursuing outdoor recreation and lakeside living. While the influx of… [Read More]
Maine
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersInfrastructure
photo of Jeff Davis Hospital

Jeff Davis Hospital: Overcoming Challenges and Securing a Sustainable Future

In 2014, Jeff Davis Hospital in Hazelhurst, Georgia, faced the grim prospect of closure. The hospital, a vital resource for the local community, was outdated, very small, and not equipped to serve the community. Originally built in 1962, Jeff Davis Hospital was last renovated in… [Read More]
Georgia
Community Facilities
Glenville Police Department on patrol.

USDA Helps Improve Public Safety in Glenville

The city of Glenville, West Virginia is a little safer now thanks to assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. Since 2018, Rural Development has provided a total of $72,950 in grant funding to Glenville State University (GSU) and the city… [Read More]
West Virginia
Community FacilitiesRural Partners Network
Betsy White, Executive Director of the William King Museum of Art

Collaborating to Preserve the Art and Culture of Southwest Virginia

Many museums inspire awe and wonder, transporting visitors back to the past or giving them a glimpse of the future, but few can claim to be a paradise for those who walk through the doors. The William King experience reaches that level for many people in Southwest Virginia who… [Read More]
Virginia
Community Facilities
DeSoto Regional Health groundbreaking ceremony.

DeSoto Regional Health Breaks Grounds on $50 Million Expansion with $32 million USDA Loan, Enhancing Emergency and Urgent Care for Rural Louisiana

With a $32 million Community Facilities direct loan commitment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, DeSoto Regional Health, a 70-year-old hospital in Mansfield, LA, broke ground on renovations and expansions to add a 16-bed medical/surgical unit, a 9-bed… [Read More]
Louisiana
Community FacilitiesHealth Care
Senator Susan Collins stands with members of the Corinna Fire Department and others at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new fire station.

Eight-bell Turns a Thing of the Past for the Corinna Fire Department

The Corinna Fire Department groundbreaking ceremony July 31, 2023 (from left to right: Shawn Richards, Jeff Dorman, Allen Emerson, T.J. Emerson, John Bridges and Shawn Henderson). Less than one year after breaking ground on a new fire… [Read More]
Maine
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersInfrastructure
Smiling people hold a ribbon inside the Maine Arts Academy during the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Bringing Free Arts Education to More Maine High School Students

Established in 2016, Maine Arts Academy (MeAA) initially operated out of rented space at the Snow Pond Arts Center in Sidney, Maine. Originally conceived of by John Wiggin of the New England Music Camp, in its early years the new public charter school and the music camp were co-… [Read More]
Maine
Community FacilitiesEducation
On Thursday, August 1, 2024; the Young Women’s Christian Association or YWCA opened the doors of their new facility in Bedford, Pennsylvania.

New YWCA Opens in McKean County

On Thursday, August 1, 2024; the Young Women’s Christian Association or YWCA opened the doors of their new facility in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The clinic hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a brand-new facility more than 13,950 square feet. In total, the project cost $5.75… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Community Facilities
Wolfe County KY Search & Rescue Team

USDA Rural Development helps search & rescue team save lives

USDA Rural Development program dollars do more than just increase prosperity – they save lives.Each year, Wolfe County, Kentucky, sees tens of thousands of rock climbers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who visit Red River Gorge and surrounding recreational areas. Anyone… [Read More]
Kentucky
Community FacilitiesFirst Responders

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