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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: 179 Stories

Transforming Lives with Quality Healthcare Services in Rural Alabama

Medical West Hospital Authority, an affiliate of University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB Health System, sought financing for a replacement and relocation of their existing hospital from its current Bessemer, Alabama location to rural McCalla, Alabama, in West Jefferson County,… [Read More]
Alabama
Community Facilities
Picture of USDA Rural Development team presenting award poster to YMCA Leadership.

New YMCA Opens in Ottawa, IL: A Boost for Community Health and Wellness

The city of Ottawa warmly welcomed its new YMCA facility in May 2024; a testament to community investment and local collaboration aimed at promoting health, wellness, and social engagement. This state-of-the-art facility represents a $27.5 million investment in the community,… [Read More]
Illinois
Community FacilitiesInfrastructure
People standing in front of a fire truck in a field.

SW Ohio City Breaks Ground on New Fire Station

The City of Loveland, Ohio, gathered on a sun-drenched autumn morning to celebrate the groundbreaking for its new fire station. Local leaders and community partners, led by Loveland Mayor Kathy Bailey, donned helmets of Fire Station 63 and took ceremonial shovels in hand to… [Read More]
Ohio
Community FacilitiesFirst Responders
A vacant lot in Downtown Rutland, VT, turned into an art exhibit

The Innovative Inspiration Behind Rutland’s Evolving Makeover

What makes a place what it is? Not just any place, but a good place? Somewhere people recognize, think about, talk about, hope for, travel through, travel to, work in, and live in? If cornered into summing it up with one sentence, community development guru Lisa Glover… [Read More]
Vermont and New Hampshire
Community Facilities
Rural fire station with trucks visible in five open bays.

Rural Ohio Community Celebrates New Public Works Complex

Community members from Washington Township (OH) near Mansfield gather to celebrate the ribbon cutting on their new Fire Station and Road Department Facility. USDA Photo Washington Township, Ohio, rests among rolling hills and farmlands… [Read More]
Ohio
Community Facilities
Firefighter in front of fire truck

Java Fire District replaces oldest brush truck with modern upgrade

The expansive landscape of north central South Dakota provides fertile ground for farmers and ranchers. Due to the dry grasslands and warm summers, the area faces an elevated risk of wildfires.In the event of a wildfire, the 20 volunteers of the Java Fire District depend on its… [Read More]
South Dakota
Community FacilitiesFirst Responders
Greenville Town Manager Mike Roy stands in front of one of the town's fire trucks in the new public safety building.

Enhancing Public Safety in the Highlands of Maine

Located in the Highlands region of Maine, the town of Greenville has long been a vacation destination. In recent years, the community has welcomed even more visitors pursuing outdoor recreation and lakeside living. While the influx of… [Read More]
Maine
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersInfrastructure
photo of Jeff Davis Hospital

Jeff Davis Hospital: Overcoming Challenges and Securing a Sustainable Future

In 2014, Jeff Davis Hospital in Hazelhurst, Georgia, faced the grim prospect of closure. The hospital, a vital resource for the local community, was outdated, very small, and not equipped to serve the community. Originally built in 1962, Jeff Davis Hospital was last renovated in… [Read More]
Georgia
Community Facilities
Glenville Police Department on patrol.

USDA Helps Improve Public Safety in Glenville

The city of Glenville, West Virginia is a little safer now thanks to assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. Since 2018, Rural Development has provided a total of $72,950 in grant funding to Glenville State University (GSU) and the city… [Read More]
West Virginia
Community FacilitiesRural Partners Network

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