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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: 876 Stories
Heartland Lumber Storefront

Building Materials + Ag Supplies = Heartland Lumber and Supply

Joe Quinn found out that after 100 years of operation, that all five of the S.A. Foster Lumberyards would either be sold or closed, including the Oshkosh, Nebraska lumberyard.  The Oshkosh location had been in operation for 65 years, and was where Joe had… [Read More]
Nebraska
Business
Everyone is smiling. The transfer of ownership is complete!

Revolving Loan Fund Prevents Potential Food Desert

In 2017, Hayes County Economic Development Corporation (HCEDC) received a Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) of $43,229 to establish a revolving loan fund (RLF). HCEDC contributed $15,000 cash and leveraged $1,500 from the community to provide a more than 27% match for the… [Read More]
Nebraska
Infrastructure

Two Thumbs Up for Homeownership

Morgan Linden-Lowell was living in a loft style apartment in Lexington, NE.  He desired to move into a home of his own that would be closer to his work.  Morgan attended a Rural Development Community Housing Meeting in Lexington, NE and learned that he could become a… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership
Mike tests his thermostat for new cove heaters while Luke supervises.

Home Electrified & Heated for Comfortable Living

Michael Costa was having electrical issues in his 1912, 900 sq. ft., two bedroom bungalow home in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.  The electric outlets upstairs were not working.  Some electricity did work downstairs where he had his TV and kept his refrigerator… [Read More]
Nebraska
Home Repair
Photo: After years working in construction on other people’s homes, Matt was able to buy his first house for himself and his two girls with help from USDA.

After Building Others’ Homes, Father of Two Achieves Homeownership

Matt was fortunate to have a rental in Redmond’s competitive market in central Oregon, where the vacancy rate is around one percent. But the scarcity of available homes is driving up prices, and Matt was feeling the impact. He also worried that if his current rental fell through… [Read More]
Oregon
Housing
Rose Fraser with Running Strong

Youth Project Promotes the Well Being of Children and Families

Oyate Teca Project an affiliate of Running Strong for American Indian Youth, Inc. is centrally located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in Kyle, SD a non-profit organization providing a variety of programs and activities promoting the well-being of children and their… [Read More]
South Dakota
Economic Development
car crusher

#1 Selling Car Crusher on the Market Benefits From Making Energy Efficiency Improvements

OVB Holdings, LLC dba Overbuilt, based in Huron, SD,  manufactures heavy machinery including car crushers and balers/loggers.  Overbuilt and its products have been around since 1996.  They produce top-quality, high-performance equipment for auto salvage yards and… [Read More]
South Dakota
REAP
Jennifer Quail with Vision Brookings

Establishing Unique Resources for a South Dakota Community

Brookings Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), through Vision Brookings Foundation, has received a USDA Rural Business Development Grant to create a commercial kitchen and implement a technical assistance program to assist the efforts of area food entrepreneurs. The kitchen… [Read More]
South Dakota
Business
Photo: Meant Manufacturing, a woman-owned, startup business in Florence, Oregon, is creating jobs and improving the local economy.

From Artisanal Hobbyist to Successful Business Owner: Rural Entrepreneur Contributes to Job Creation and Local Economy

Creating one-of-a-kind bags and accessories from locally sourced materials, like Pendleton® Wool, started as a hobby for Lindsey Phillips. Gradually, she began selling her products through third-party sites. Then she created her own website and sold wholesale to local boutiques… [Read More]
Oregon
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentSmall Business
The Bailay Family

Commuting Time Can Make the Difference in Buying a Home

Cody and Amber Bailey and their daughter Savannah were living in a house in Milligan, Nebraska that Cody had bought before he got married.  The house was a real fixer upper and Cody didn’t have the funds for the repairs.  Amber is a new stay at home mother and Cody… [Read More]
Nebraska
Homeownership

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