Success Stories
Find Stories
Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.
Search Results: 92 Stories
I was paying for something I knew I would never own
Vikki Shoulders has lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation her entire life. At 46, she always dreamed of owning her own home, but on the reservation, there weren’t many options. While renting offered many benefits, she knew she was paying for something she would never own… [Read More]
![American flag above Life Floor manufacturing equipment](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/RD_SD_Life-Floor-5.jpg?itok=b4_ecVh4)
Making A Splash in Rural South Dakota
Growing up, we all remember visiting the local pool or water park. Lifeguards blew a whistle warning us to slow down as we dashed to the refreshing water on dangerous slippery, molten-hot concrete.
But today’s pools, water parks and splash pads are much safer thanks to… [Read More]
![Exterior photo of Shalyn Janis home](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/RD-SD_Mazaska-Success-Story_Shalyn-Janis_0.jpg?itok=hTpI_OjL)
Creating A Haven for Native American Homeowners
The journey to homeownership is often filled with anxiety, unknowns, frustrations and eventually excitement as you move into your home. For Shalyn Janis, this journey began in 2018. She had been trying to buy a home for a while when she heard about USDA’s Native Relending,… [Read More]
![Walworth County Care Center staff photo](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/SD_Walworth-County-Care-Center_Staff-3.jpg?itok=e4ONawFK)
Center Keeps Selby Citizens Safe
Nestled on Selby's eastern edge sits the Walworth County Care Center. The center originally opened in the 1960s and has served the area’s 5,300 residents for over six decades. But in 2018, the owners of the center deemed it unprofitable and notified staff the facility would be… [Read More]
![Reel of Fiber in rural countryside.](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/AdobeStock_411998105_Rural_Fiber.jpeg?itok=IRHX-Qbu)
ReConnecting Rural Residents to Reliable High-Speed Internet
High-speed internet used to be considered a luxury for many rural customers. When the pandemic hit, the need for reliable broadband service became a priority.
Thanks to Rural Development’s ReConnect program, rural customers near Timber Lake now will have reliable internet… [Read More]
![Male and female sanding a floor.](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/SD_CDFI-Native-Relending_Four-Bands_Kim-Lawrence_10.20.2022_Sanding.jpg?itok=X4j1RlQk)
Homeownership Becomes Reality Through Four Bands Community Fund, Rural Development
When Kim Lawrence of Eagle Butte set out to purchase a home, she knew there was work to be done.
“I had very bad credit and student loans that had gone unpaid,” said Lawrence. “Before I could buy a house, I needed to clean up my credit, and Four Bands helped guide me along the… [Read More]
![Day County Ambulance](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/SD_Day-County-ERHC-Ambulance-2.jpg?itok=A8o_P6tq)
Day County receives Rural Development Grant to purchase ambulance service
Located in the northeastern corner of South Dakota sits a county dotted with lakes, ponds and rolling hills. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy, and when summer and fall arrive, Day County sees its population more than double as anglers, hunters and outdoorsmen… [Read More]
![Brian and Catherine Bartunek family with Rural Development staff outside home](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/SD-homeownership-2022-Bartunek.jpg?itok=u4Kz_b4T)
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]
![cheese products photo](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/2021-07/farmlifecreamery.jpg?itok=tbNykMI1)
Making Own Products is a Dream Come True for Small Rural South Dakota Business
In the spring of 2017, Chad Blase quit his full-time job to go back to work with his parents on their dairy farm. Within months, milk prices were sinking and Chad and his partner Laura Klock, along with Chad’s parents, Amy and Gary Blase, realized it was time to have some… [Read More]
![Candice Hill photo](/sites/default/files/styles/success_stories_thumbnail/public/2021-06/candicehill.jpg?itok=G38I8dfv)
Homeownership Provides South Dakota Family with Security and Stability
Candice Hill is a single mother of three children. She was interested in pursuing owning her own home. Through the guidance and assistance received from T-Yamni, a one-stop homeownership program offered by Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate to tribal members, she was on the path to… [Read More]
Pagination