U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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…
Read More

Find Stories

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

Search Results: 893 Stories
A woman stands before a cream colored house set into a hillside, with a brick patio and white patio furniture arranged. There is a green lawn in the foreground and trees in the background in bright sunshine.

Maine Retiree Turns to Rural Development for Help Recovering from Flash Flood

After a dozen years in her Franklin County home, lifelong Mainer Lucille thought she knew what to expect during bad weather. Therefore, when torrential rains struck Western Maine on June 29, 2023, she wasn’t particularly alarmed at first. Her home is located partway up a hill… [Read More]
Maine
DisasterHome Repair
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 The hospital, a vital resource for the local community, was outdated, very small, and not equipped to serve the community.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
new cinderblock building

Village of Honor system upgrades help ensure effective wastewater treatment, and a healthy watershed, for generations to come

Before the Village of Honor improved its wastewater treatment system in 2022, the team that runs it dealt with frequent maintenance issues.The system, which includes a series of treatment lagoons and other structures and components that lie at the northeastern edge of the… [Read More]
Michigan
Wastewater
Overhead view of L'Anse with buildings and water

Michigan’s ‘Village by the Bay’ completes extensive project to improve wastewater services, helping to keep local waters healthy for the future

People have been visiting the area surrounding the Village of L’Anse, which means “the cove” in French, to recreate, fish, camp and enjoy the water since long before the village’s founding in the 1870s.Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, L’Anse offers a unique blend of… [Read More]
Michigan
Wastewater
Man standing in front of house on wooded lot.

Keeping Housing Affordable and Safe in Rural Ohio Town

Representatives from Yellow Springs Home, Inc., and USDA Rural Development in Ohio celebrate partnership that helps provide safe, affordable housing for families in and near the Village of Yellow Springs, Ohio. USDA Photo. Since 1995,… [Read More]
Ohio
Home RepairHousing
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
A woman in a red shirt and a man in a green shirt stand in front of a windrow turner machine at an outdoor compost facility. Mounds of compost are behind them under a blue sky with clouds.

Completing the Circle: Composting Locally

For Monique DiGiorgio, co-owner of Table to Farm Compost in Durango, Colorado, there is a full circle order to things. What we put out into the world has the potential to directly impact what we receive back.At Table to Farm Compost, this cycle happens in a literal manner every… [Read More]
Colorado
Fertilizer Production Expansion Program
A woman stands in the lobby area of a small gym in rural Colorado. A teal colored sign with a skull and wing logo for Catacombs Fitness Collective is displayed on the wall behind her.

Sunny Southwest Colorado Gym Owner Adds Solar to Support Community Spirit

Tracie Holcomb, the owner of Catacombs Fitness Collective in Durango, Colorado, has continually sought ways to enhance her gym’s role as a community cornerstone. “Our motto is fitness and community,” says Tracie. “We think if people have a safe space where their friends are,… [Read More]
Colorado
EnergyREAPRenewable EnergySmall BusinessSolar Energy
Celine Leavitt stands in front of an outbuilding at her overnight stay guest accommodations in rural Colorado. The building has solar panels mounted on it. In the background is Sleeping Ute Mountain.

Clean Energy Powers Ancient Echoes

When Celine Leavitt and her wife Allison Troxel visited McElmo Canyon near Cortez, Colorado, they felt an unmistakable connection to the land. After camping for a single night at the serene space called Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place, both agreed the “for sale by owner” sign was… [Read More]
Colorado
Renewable EnergySmall BusinessSolar Energy

Additional Success Stories