Bob Morgan, State Director of USDA Rural Development

It starts with caring.

On May 2, 2024, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new mental health service center in Uniontown, Pa. The facility, funded through our essential community facilities program, gives locals in need of care a place to meet with qualified professionals from the Fayette County Mental Health Association. 

John and Kathleen Crandell thought that owning their own home was just a dream. But this dream finally became a reality. This retired couple, ages 70 and 68, had always rented and lived on a fixed income from Social Security and a small pension.

Hundreds of local residents and visitors gather at Waynesboro’s Zeus Digital Theater each week to view the latest theatrical releases on eight big screens, never realizing that they are being transported to other worlds via the power of the sun.

A 241kw system perched high atop the 40-foot building keeps the entertainment venue operating at peak efficiency to lower costs so the show can go on for many years to come. While it may not be a Hollywood blockbuster, the Zeus story is one worth telling with compelling characters and a few plot twists before the big payoff.

The Section 504 Home Repair Loans & Grants in Presidentially Declared Disasters Pilot program provides loans and grants to very-low-income homeowners to repair disaster related damage caused to their homes.

USDA Rural Development is making one their most dynamic and impactful investments with their partnership with GHA Autism Supports Morrow Valley Farmstead.

The investment of $2.6 million into the home for aging individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities is a game changer, according to GHA Autism Supports Chief Executive Officer Dawn Allen.

The 50-acre farm is more than just a home for 10 people, in varying ages, who are autistic. It is a place where the residents can find joy and experience activities that enrich their lives.

Have you ever heard your heart in your ears? It’s that adrenaline rush that results from both good and bad events in our life. Often enough the events that trigger this feeling are good, your favorite team winning, that lucky break or unexpected promotion. There are also times in life that events happen without our control. Going into spring of 2022 the last thing that Norma Nix, a resident of Mineral Hills New Mexico expected was anything out of the ordinary.

In the wake of a catastrophic wildfire that ravaged the City of Carbon, leaving 85 homes destroyed and the water system severely impacted, Sylvia Gosnell, the dedicated City Secretary, found herself facing immense challenges. The fire had torn through the water plant, leaving it without a power source, and the city was in desperate need of assistance to restore vital services to its residents.