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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: 878 Stories
The Mapleton High School track was resurfaced with help from a USDA grant.

Rural School District Sprints to the Finish Line with Major Track Repair

In the rural town of Mapleton in western Oregon, students attend high school on a campus sandwiched between the Siuslaw River on one side and the Coast Range on the other. Nestled in the forest, the high school track is distinctive with its triangular shape and 300-meter length… [Read More]
Oregon
Community FacilitiesEducation
Library employee at desk

Library Renovation Ensures Future Learning Opportunities

North Dakota libraries provide learning opportunities throughout the state and are integral in ensuring free information is available to community members. With a large percentage of North Dakota residents spread across rural towns, it is imperative libraries can provide access… [Read More]
North Dakota
Community Facilities
Capulin LIbrary Visitor

Helping a small rural community with library services

It is great to see how a public library can make all the difference in a rural community.  In 1978, the Conejos Library opened and became a district in 2000.  The library was assigned a mil levy and in 2008 the district, through the use of grants and the levy saved… [Read More]
Colorado
Community Facilities
Teacher and students

Broadband Provides Opportunities Inside Rural School

Children across North Dakota are the most important resource for the future. Ensuring they receive an excellent education is critical to their ability to excel as adults. Inside the two-room Sweet Briar School, two teachers utilize broadband to educate students from kindergarten… [Read More]
North Dakota
Broadband
Cactus Health Clinic in Fort Stockton

Cactus Health Services Completes New Health Clinic

Cactus Health Services, Inc., is a Federally Qualified Health Center in operation since 2003. Cactus Health provides services to the low income, uninsured, and underserved populations of Brewster, Terrell and Pecos counties. The organization operated its primary care with a… [Read More]
Texas
Community FacilitiesHealth Care
Mill Creek Residence Hall at Blinn College in Brenham

New Dorm Brings New Life to Blinn College

In January 2016, a meeting was held at the Blinn College campus in Brenham, Texas. Those in attendance included USDA Rural Development, Blinn College, and Raymond James Financial Group. The purpose was to discuss the financing and construction of a new dormitory for the Blinn… [Read More]
Texas
Community Facilities
Limon Child Development Center kids

Making a difference for children in Limon, CO

USDA Rural Development received a letter from a child who attends Limon Child Development Center in Limon, CO. Rural Development was able to help the center purchase equipment for their new addition that connected their main building with their gymnasium in 2018. The $… [Read More]
Colorado
Community Facilities
Photo: The roof on the Walterville Grange Hall was replaced with the help of a USDA grant.

Rural Town Preserves Historic Community Hall

The historic Walterville Grange Hall #416 has served as a focal point for this small community in southwest Oregon for decades. It provides a meeting place for the town and hosts events both big and small, from weddings and family gatherings to the annual community fair. When… [Read More]
Oregon
Community Facilities

Northern Nevada Manufacturer Uses REAP to Overhaul Assembly Line, Saves Money on Automation and LED Lights

U.S. Ordnance, a Northern Nevada weapons manufacturing plant, recently overhauled its assembly line and energy systems with help from staff with Nevada Industry Excellence (NVIE) and USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Originally based out of California, owner-… [Read More]
Nevada
EnergyRenewable EnergySolar Energy
Photo: The fire station serving rural Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast received seismic improvements and was fully renovated with the help of USDA funding.

Rural Fire Station Renovated to Withstand Earthquake

The residents of the rural community of Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast are no strangers to earthquakes. Most of the tremors they experience are small, but in the event of a major quake, they would depend on their local emergency responders for assistance. The 40-year-old, three-… [Read More]
Oregon
Community Facilities

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