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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 their 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: 65 Stories
photo of ribbon cutting

Rural Community’s First Hospice Center

For the people of Glasgow, Kentucky, a collaboration between T.J. Community Mission Foundation, the city, Farmers Rural Electric Cooperative, and USDA Rural Development helped to meet a critical need in the community. In 2020, the city was able to open its first hospice center… [Read More]
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentHealth CareRural Development
group photo of a ribbon cutting

Garbage Turned into Energy

Have you ever ridden by a landfill and watch flames coming out of pipes emerging from the debris and say to yourself-what a waste of energy/heat??? That’s called off gassing to relieve gas build up from garbage. Although, in 2013, Farmers Rural Electric Cooperative Corp. (RECC)… [Read More]
BusinessCooperativesRural DevelopmentSmall Business
Image of sign of Meadville, Pennsylvania

Engage Your Community With Investment Cooperatives

What can you do to bring economic development to your rural communities? Is it possible without large corporations or out of town investors that may not understand the needs of your community? Perhaps your community should consider investment cooperatives. Local organizers in… [Read More]
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentRural DevelopmentSmall Business
Mni Waste water tower in Eagle Butte, SD

Delivering mni wašté to residents of Cheyenne River Reservation

The Lakota phrase mni wasté translates to mean good water, which is what Mni Wasté Water Company’s 13 staff strive to deliver to the residents of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and surrounding area every day. Leo ‘Earp’ Fischer is the director of the water company. He’s been… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesGrantsRural DevelopmentTribalWater
photo from common grounds cooperative website

Finding Common Ground: A Community Economic Development Project

Traverse City, Michigan is a rural community on the shores of lake Michigan. A city with a strong year-round recreation economy and a vibrant downtown filled with independent businesses. Many business owners have struggled to locate commercial space, as well as retain employees… [Read More]
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentRural DevelopmentSmall Business
State Director Julia Hnilicka smiles at local business owner Henry Krull as he bags up lettuce and explains hydroponic farming.

Green energy: photovoltaic array powers growth of Alaskan produce business

During a good year, Alaska’s outdoor growing season is three months for most lettuces and herbs, so providing greens for a community year-round is a feat in itself. Doing so sustainably is another challenge entirely! In 2018, innovator Henry Krull and his family decided to… [Read More]
BusinessEnergyLocal FoodsLocal ProduceREAPRenewable EnergyRural DevelopmentSmall BusinessSolar Energy
Roberts County patrol cruiser parked outside Sheriff's Department.

Equipment upgrades improve response, community relations in Roberts County

When Deputy Trevor Mishler was hired by Roberts County Sheriff's Department, there weren’t enough patrol cruisers to go around and some of the equipment being used by deputies was outdated and past its serviceable life. The Sheriff and county staff gave the deputy the green… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersRural DevelopmentUnderserved
Wagner Early Childhood facility image

Developing Young Minds in Rural South Dakota

Wagner Early Childhood in south-central South Dakota has been caring for children for more than 30 years and Rural Development Community Facilities loans and grants have helped in many ways, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When schools and businesses closed because of… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesRural Development
A kitchen with counters, cupboards and a stove

A Family, A Home, And An Education: How Laura Got it Done

Right on the banks of the Mississippi River, Camanche, Iowa, boasts of a long history of small town life. With the big river so close, scenic views are everywhere. With larger cities nearby, education and employment opportunities are within reach. “Camanche is a grassroots… [Read More]
EducationHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2023Rural Development
Leaders from USDA Rural Development and Sen. Murkowski's office break ground for the Chugachmiut Regional Health Center.

USDA Rural Development celebrates Chugachmiut Regional Health Center groundbreaking

USDA Rural Development Alaska State Director Julia Hnilicka attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Chugachmiut Regional Health Center in Seward, Alaska, Saturday, June 3. The occasion marked the start of construction of the $20 million facility. “The past three years really… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesGrantsHealth CareInfrastructureRural DevelopmentTribalUnderserved

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