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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: 893 Stories
Man standing next to lumber

Montana Lumber Mill Makes Energy Improvements with USDA

Sun Mountain Lumber, located in Deer Lodge, Mont., is a family-owned lumber mill which also serves as Deer Lodge Valley’s largest private employer. Since 2018, Sun Mountain Lumber has received two separate USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America (REAP) program grants to… [Read More]
Montana
BusinessEnergy
Person on a roof

U.S. Army Veteran Builds Roots in Great Falls, Mont.

 In 2017, Heather, a U.S. Army National Guard Veteran, decided to build her home through the Great Falls NeighborWorks self-help housing program, in Great Falls, Mont.  She used a USDA Rural Development Single Family Direct Home Loan to purchase the home she built.… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership
Man in front of truck

USDA RD Helps Family-Owned Montana Company Keep On Trucking

Hanson Trucking, a small enterprise located in Columbia Falls, Mont., is a family-owned trucking company which has been in business for over three decades.  Hanson Trucking is dedicated to supporting Montana’s rural economy and providing local jobs within Flathead County.… [Read More]
Montana
Small Business
Brian and Catherine Bartunek family with Rural Development staff outside home

Bartuneks Become Homeowners After Long Journey

Buying a house can be a daunting process for anyone and it’s easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed, but for one South Dakota family, perseverance paid off for their long journey to home ownership. Brian and Catherine Bartunek wanted a place to call home for their three… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022HousingRural DevelopmentTribal
Man inside his brewery

Army Veteran Brings Brewing Back to Butte

In 2015, Tony Olson, who is a member of the Great Falls Little Shell Tribe and a U.S. Army National Guard Veteran, brought craft brew back to Butte, Mont.  He used USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program funding to install solar panels on his brewery’s roof… [Read More]
Montana
REAPSmall BusinessTribal
Man fixing car

Small Business Success: Glacier Collision Worx of Montana

Rick Crook, owner of Glacier Collision Worx, in Kalispell, Mont., realized his dream of owning his own autobody collision shop through a combination of financing including a Small Business Administration loan, a loan through TrailWest Bank and Montana West Economic Development's… [Read More]
Montana
Small Business
Woman in front of house

Single Mom Builds Montana Roots on Trust Land

Kristen S., a single mom and resident of Red Lodge, Montana, decided to build her home through the Helena Area Habitat for Humanity self-help housing program.  As part of a new initiative, Habitat for Humanity partnered with Red Lodge Area Community Foundation and Trust… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership
First-time homebuyers find a home in rural Cape Cod

First-time homebuyers find a home in rural Cape Cod

Ghislain and Savannah Beauplant have navigated a highly competitive Cape Cod Massachusetts real estate market for almost two years, armed with patience and perseverance. The family cites their success to having the right people, providing support and knowledge, to bring them to… [Read More]
Massachusetts
Homeownership
West Holt Memorial Hospital Exterior

West Holt Memorial Hospital: A Rural American Success Story

Even before the pandemic, Holt County, Nebraska was facing a rural healthcare emergency. Home to just more than 10,000 people, the large county of 2,413 square miles, needed increased medical resources. West Holt Memorial Hospital applied and were approved for a direct loan… [Read More]
Nebraska
Community Facilities
Caucasian couple with light skin, dark hair, stand on porch of their new house with brown siding and tan brick.

USDA Guaranteed Home Loan Brings Couple Independence

Haylee and Hayden Nix were in the market to purchase their first home after renting a house from a relative. Haylee said, “We wanted a home to have our own space and build equity in a property that would benefit us in the future.”The Nix found the house plans and property… [Read More]
Utah
HomeownershipHousing

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