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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
Boys and Girls Club of Lower Brule van photo

Transportation Van Helps Advance Boys and Girls Club Mission

Lower Brule, S.D. is in Lyman County. The community is located within the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. An organization called The Boys and Girls Club of Lower Brule provides youth development and has two sites; one is a youth center for ages 6-12 and the other is a teen… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Florence Food Share distributes approximately 50,000 pounds of food per month to help alleviate hunger in this rural community.

Partnering to Alleviate Hunger in a Rural Community

In the small community of Florence and the surrounding area on the Oregon coast, nearly 4,000 people received free food from the nonprofit Florence Food Share last year. The pantry helps ensure that seniors, people with disabilities, those who are unemployed, and low-income… [Read More]
Community Facilities
ga-LibrariesSeetheWorld

Rural Libraries Provide Computers and Internet Access

Public libraries can serve as portals for rural communities, connecting residents to a variety of information and resources.  This is certainly the story of Mr. Sule Opio of Ambrose, Georgia.  An artist, Sule says he uses the computer at the Ambrose branch of the… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Cane Bay YMCA

Long-Awaited YMCA Opens in Cane Bay

The long-awaited Cane Bay YMCA opened Saturday, April 27, 2019.  The 54,000 square foot facility is the largest facility of its kind in the Lowcountry.  The building and outdoor recreation fields span 34 of the 69 acres donated by Cane Bay Plantation.  “There are… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Power cot

New Cot Increases Efficiency for Volunteer First Responders

The Harrison, Neb. voluntary rescue unit’s ambulance had an old cot that was not electric and required emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to wait for additional help to load and unload a patient. Often, the wait was long due to few volunteers being available. The… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Unadilla cot

Unadilla Fire and Rescue get Helping “Hand”

The Unadilla volunteer fire and rescue department recognized the need for equipment that would allow a single first responder to load a patient upon arrival.  A delay was occurring in getting the overdosed or injured patient to the hospital for treatment. Often times… [Read More]
Community Facilities
The Mapleton High School track was resurfaced with help from a USDA grant.

Rural School District Sprints to the Finish Line with Major Track Repair

In the rural town of Mapleton in western Oregon, students attend high school on a campus sandwiched between the Siuslaw River on one side and the Coast Range on the other. Nestled in the forest, the high school track is distinctive with its triangular shape and 300-meter length… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesEducation
Library employee at desk

Library Renovation Ensures Future Learning Opportunities

North Dakota libraries provide learning opportunities throughout the state and are integral in ensuring free information is available to community members. With a large percentage of North Dakota residents spread across rural towns, it is imperative libraries can provide access… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Capulin LIbrary Visitor

Helping a small rural community with library services

It is great to see how a public library can make all the difference in a rural community.  In 1978, the Conejos Library opened and became a district in 2000.  The library was assigned a mil levy and in 2008 the district, through the use of grants and the levy saved… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Cactus Health Clinic in Fort Stockton

Cactus Health Services Completes New Health Clinic

Cactus Health Services, Inc., is a Federally Qualified Health Center in operation since 2003. Cactus Health provides services to the low income, uninsured, and underserved populations of Brewster, Terrell and Pecos counties. The organization operated its primary care with a… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesHealth Care

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