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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: 4 Stories
Trey with his daughter looking at coffee grounds

Veteran Finds Unexpected Inspiration, Leads to New Business

Inspiration can strike at the most unlikely times. For Trey Hendrickson, it struck when he was returning from deployment in Afghanistan. He had, what he recalls as ‘the best cup of coffee’ he’d ever had. It was a taste of home. U.S. Marine… [Read More]
South Dakota
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentRMAP
A woman and man stand in front of a pontoon boat with a banner that says the company name, "Wilde Recreation."

Nurturing Dreams and Livelihoods: Local Partner in Northern Maine Makes USDA Financing Easy to Access

After a long career in software development, Marci Wilde was ready for a change of vocation. Being a recreation enthusiast herself, she knew how much folks love to enjoy the trails, woods, and lakes year-round, especially up north. So, she packed up and moved to rural Cross Lake… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEntrepreneurRecreationRMAPRural DevelopmentSmall Business
Couple pointing to Nevada shape sign at The Grid Restaurant in Fallon Nevada

Micro Loans Support $17.2 Million Investment in Rural Nevada

For more than 25 years, Rural Nevada business owners have benefited from a small but powerful alternative lender – the Rural Nevada Development Corporation (RNDC). Based out of Ely, Nevada, the nonprofit development corporation maintains one rural office, and quietly offers a… [Read More]
Nevada
RMAP
Marie’s Café in McGill, Nevada

Expansion in Microlending Aids Startups, Extends Capital to Rural Markets

Rural Nevada businesses needed capital, but banks were unwilling to make small- or medium-sized loans.  In particular, loans were not being offered to Nevada’s emerging business communities. How Rural Development Helped: In September 2010, USDA Rural Development … [Read More]
Nevada
RMAP

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