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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: 163 Stories
The City of Luverne is partnering with a nonprofit to turn a vacant office building into a childcare center.

City of Luverne Partners with Non-Profit to Address Childcare Shortage

Families in Rock County, Minnesota have had limited choices when it comes to childcare. Now, the City of Luverne is taking action to provide much needed relief for working families. Rural Minnesota, especially Rock County, suffers from a critical shortage in childcare… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Howard Lake officials believe their city will open the first net-zero library in Minnesota

City of Howard Lake to Open First Net-Zero Library in Minnesota

A project that has been years in the making for a small Minnesota town is wrapping up. By the end of the summer, the City of Howard Lake is expected to open the doors of their new, state-of-the-art public library. Howard Lake’s current library is the smallest library in the… [Read More]
Community Facilities
An illustration of I.V. Hope Village housing. I.V. Hope Village is a transitional living project in Cave Junction, OR designed to increase the number of affordable housing options.

It Takes a Village: Building Hope in Southern Oregon

A strong community must have affordable housing. The lack of affordable or available housing in Cave Junction, Oregon, has led to a housing crisis that has affected the people of this small, rural community within the Illinois Valley. Unpredictable wildfires and a major shift… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesHomeownership 2024HousingUnderserved
Castleton Library in Castleton, Vermont

Castleton Library Goes Vertical to Serve the Entire Community

The Castleton Free Library (CFL) in Castleton, Vermont is a beloved historic institution that serves its community far beyond the conventional role of book repository. By collaborating with other libraries throughout the region, the staff takes a proactive approach to expanding… [Read More]
Community Facilities
State Director Waring speaks at the Winooski Downtown Revitalization ground breaking ceremony

Winooski Breaks Ground on Downtown Revitalization Project

The City of Winooski has undertaken a whole-street reconstruction project thanks to more than $20 million from USDA Rural Development Community Programs. Focusing on roughly 4,000 feet of the city's corridor from Interstate I-89 into downtown, the reconstruction will include… [Read More]
Community Facilities
The Link serves as a resource center for many residents living in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.

Kandiyohi County Non-Profit Uses Rural Development Grant to Purchase Building

Since 2008, The Link has served as a central hub for people in need living in and around New London, Minnesota. The Link was originally established by the local ministerial association as a center coordinating resources for people in need. Since it was founded, the non-profit’… [Read More]
Community Facilities
On May 2, 2024, USDA Rural Development was able to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new mental health service center in Uniontown, Pa. The facility, funded through our essential community facilities program, gives locals in need of care a place to meet with qualified professionals from the Fayette County Mental Health Association.

Where to Start: Accessing Mental Health Resources in Rural Pennsylvania

Bob Morgan, State Director of USDA Rural Development It starts with caring. On May 2, 2024, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new mental health service center in Uniontown, Pa. The facility, funded through our essential… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesMental Health
Rural Housing Service (RHS) Administrator Joaquin Altoro and Hawaii/Western Pacific State Director Chris Kanazawa speaks with Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero following the outreach event held at the University of Guam.

USDA Rural Development Hosts Community Outreach Event at the University of Guam

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, USDA Rural Development Hawaii/Western Pacific State Director Chris Kanazawa, Rural Housing Service (RHS) Administrator Joaquin Altoro and USDA RD program representatives provided an overview of loans and grants available for rural area residents,… [Read More]
BusinessCommunity FacilitiesHomeownership

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