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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
Day County Ambulance

Day County receives Rural Development Grant to purchase ambulance service

Located in the northeastern corner of South Dakota sits a county dotted with lakes, ponds and rolling hills. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy, and when summer and fall arrive, Day County sees its population more than double as anglers, hunters and outdoorsmen… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersGrantsHealth Care
West Holt Memorial Hospital Exterior

West Holt Memorial Hospital: A Rural American Success Story

Even before the pandemic, Holt County, Nebraska was facing a rural healthcare emergency. Home to just more than 10,000 people, the large county of 2,413 square miles, needed increased medical resources. West Holt Memorial Hospital applied and were approved for a direct loan… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Picture of McKenzie County Hospital

Partners in Mental Health for Rural North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. -- According to the North Dakota Behavioral Health Division, nearly 20% of adults in North Dakota suffer from challenges associated with mental illnesses. The importance of prioritizing mental health and working to reduce the stigma associated with seeking… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesHealth Care
Gosper County Rural Fire District's New Grass Fire Truck

Gosper County Rural Fire District Gets New Grass Fire Truck: A Special Addition to the Team

Living in a rural community has its advantages; peace and quiet, a more reasonable cost of living, and friendly neighbors who pull for each other in times of need. Rural America seems to have community values that sometimes can feel lost in other places, and no one embodies… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesDisasterFirst RespondersGrants
football2

St. Helena College and Career Academy: Touchdown Loan

St. Helena College and Career Academy in rural Greensburg, Louisiana is home to the Mighty Hawks. In the small parish of 11,000, football is one of the main ways that the community comes together, and St. Helena is their only public high school. But, St. Helena's previous… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesEducationRecreation
Native American statue on IAIA Campus

Advancing Artistic Expression

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is located just a few miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Located on 140 acres in Santa Fe it is arguably one of the best locations in the state for an art school. To put it simply the place is inspiring. The campus is in a… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesEducationTribal
Nicholson, Georgia community gathers at Benton Hall in December 2021 for a Christmas celebration.

Community Center Revives Community Spirit

Nicholson hosts the annual Daisy Festival and is centrally located off Hwy 441 driving to the heart of Athens Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs. The city lacks a downtown district and a central place to gather.  Benton Elementary School is a bastion to the city of… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesRural Development
Metal sculpture with parking lot in back

Paving the Way for Tribal Education

Salish Kootenai College (SKC), in Pablo, Mont., was founded in 1977, became self-governing in 1981, and was later designated as a land-grant college. SKC serves 68 percent of first generation college students. With enrollment exceeding 700, and many students commuting to pursue… [Read More]
Community CollegesCommunity FacilitiesGrantsTribal
St. Luke's Carbon Hospital

Carbon County Gets a New Hospital

Carbon County Pennsylvania opened the doors to its newest hospital in 65 years on November 21, 2021. The trauma-4 facility is expected to treat about 50,000 emergency care patients a year, thanks to a $98.5 million Community Facilities direct USDA loan investment for the… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesHealth CareRural Development
CEO Margie Molitor standing in front of Hot Springs Health.

Locals Take the Initiative to Save and Improve Their Hospital

Aging infrastructure and technology were taking their toll on the Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital, now known as Hot Springs Health, in Thermopolis, Wyoming. However, with local demand and tourists on their way to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, patient levels… [Read More]
Community Facilities

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