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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: 16 Stories
A water treatment facility at Seal Rock, Oregon.

Collaboration and Climate Resilience: Seal Rock Water District Finds A New Source

Seal Rock’s drinking water was in danger. For nearly 50 years, Seal Rock Water District (SRWD) relied on water purchased from the nearby town of Toledo, Oregon. The water could only be delivered through a 7-mile-long, underground pipeline. Already prone to landslides and… [Read More]
Oregon
Community FacilitiesDisasterWastewaterWater
New Hardy County Public Service District office building.

“They’re Always There for Us”: USDA Helps with Recovery Efforts

It was June 1, 2018, a severe storm had battered Hardy County in eastern West Virginia causing flooding, mudslides, and landslides. The storms brought heavy rain and caused significant damage to private property and public infrastructure in Hardy County. The Hardy County Public… [Read More]
West Virginia
DisasterWastewaterWater
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
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
Gosper County Rural Fire District's New Grass Fire Truck

Gosper County Rural Fire District Gets New Grass Fire Truck: A Special Addition to the Team

Living in a rural community has its advantages; peace and quiet, a more reasonable cost of living, and friendly neighbors who pull for each other in times of need. Rural America seems to have community values that sometimes can feel lost in other places, and no one embodies… [Read More]
Nebraska
Community FacilitiesDisasterFirst RespondersGrants
Rushville Fire Truck

USDA Assists in Protecting Residents and Firefighters

The 890 rural residents of the city of Rushville are currently served by a 1974 pumper truck that was refurbished in 1994. The vehicle lacks 4x4 wheel drive which is critical during poor weather conditions.  Also, the truck can't pump and roll simultaneously, and does not… [Read More]
Nebraska
Community FacilitiesDisaster

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