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 skid steer with snow blower attachment blowing snow off a sidewalk

A Skid Steer, A Snow Blower and Safer Sidewalks in a Small Iowa Town

Located in southwestern Iowa, the town of Corning in Adams County is known for its historic architecture and rural landscapes. A strong sense of civic pride can be seen throughout the community, population 1,564. Small town charm, however, was not enough to serve the pressing… [Read More]
Iowa
Community FacilitiesDisasterGrantsInfrastructure
Mill Creek Gardens sign

Flowers Make People Happy Year-Round at Mill Creek Gardens

Between fresh snowbanks and snow-covered farm fields on Mill Creek Drive in Marshfield are rows of greenhouses with a large sign out front that says, “Flowers Make People Happy” on it. It’s a quiet winter day in December but inside is a warm, welcoming display of thriving flora… [Read More]
Wisconsin
BiomassSmall Business
Harvest Outreach Center staff pose with new vehicles purchased with Emergency Rural Healthcare Grant funding.

'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
GrantsHealth CareMental Health
Native American ladies sitting in chairs, talking and smiling with each other.

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
CooperativesGrantsRural DevelopmentTribal
American flag above Life Floor manufacturing equipment

Making A Splash in Rural South Dakota

Growing up, we all remember visiting the local pool or water park. Lifeguards blew a whistle warning us to slow down as we dashed to the refreshing water on dangerous slippery, molten-hot concrete. But today’s pools, water parks and splash pads are much safer thanks to… [Read More]
South Dakota
Economic DevelopmentManufacturingSmall Business
Photo of people lifting up a wall frame they have built out of wood while building a house.

USDA RD helps family become homeowners in Napa Valley

Erik Martinez, Sr. and his wife Ana immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico about 30 years ago with the dream of making a better life for themselves. They settled in Napa Valley in the world-famous wine region where Ana found work in hospitality and tourism and Erik began working at… [Read More]
California
GrantsHomeownershipHousing
Exterior photo of Shalyn Janis home

Creating A Haven for Native American Homeowners

The journey to homeownership is often filled with anxiety, unknowns, frustrations and eventually excitement as you move into your home. For Shalyn Janis, this journey began in 2018. She had been trying to buy a home for a while when she heard about USDA’s Native Relending,… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHousingRural DevelopmentTribal
Several people raise a house wall during a group construction project

Camp Fire survivor gets new home through USDA RD Self-Help Program

Elizabeth Brewster grew up in Paradise, California. After a time away for her career, she knew she had to come back to the place she called home – a home that had been in her family since the 1960s. In 2018, tragedy hit. The Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in the history of… [Read More]
California
DisasterGrantsHomeownershipHousing
Smiling woman named Lisa Fensick standing in front of a new ambulance she helped obtain for her fire station.

Rural Healthcare Worker Lisa Fensick: An Everyday Hero Saving Lives

First responders are often on the front lines of health care, and their impact to rural communities has been immeasurable. For Lisa Fensick of Seaford, Delaware, this impact drove her desire to become a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT). “I became a… [Read More]
Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia (DC)
First RespondersHealth CareRural Development
Turner SFH

Homeowner Is Proudly Setting an Example for Her Children with the Help of USDA

Homeownership is still the “American Dream” for many people living in America and for Ms. Jacqueline Turner, this dream was no different.  USDA Rural Development (RD) helped Turner realize that it’s not just a dream it’s now a reality. Recently Turner applied for a home… [Read More]
South Carolina
HomeownershipHousing

Additional Success Stories