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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: 84 Stories
Photo: Outlaw Auto, a small, family-owned business in Myrtle Point, Oregon, is providing stable income for its owners and jobs for this rural community.

Small Family-owned Business Creates Jobs in Rural Community

For years, John and Alayna Black dreamed about opening their own business. John worked as a mechanic, repairing cars, motorcycles, and boats, but it was a struggle to make ends meet, especially after Alayna’s back surgery. “I didn’t know if we’d be able to pay the bills or have… [Read More]
Oregon
BusinessSmall Business
Welcome to Plainview sign.

City of Plainview Obtains Financial Tool To Recruit New Businesses

The city of Plainview is facing the challenge that many rural communities face; how does a rural community keep existing businesses in operation and recruit new businesses to keep the community viable. One of the issues Plainview plans to address is the challenge of apparent… [Read More]
Nebraska
Small Business
Photo: Meant Manufacturing, a woman-owned, startup business in Florence, Oregon, is creating jobs and improving the local economy.

From Artisanal Hobbyist to Successful Business Owner: Rural Entrepreneur Contributes to Job Creation and Local Economy

Creating one-of-a-kind bags and accessories from locally sourced materials, like Pendleton® Wool, started as a hobby for Lindsey Phillips. Gradually, she began selling her products through third-party sites. Then she created her own website and sold wholesale to local boutiques… [Read More]
Oregon
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentSmall Business
Photo of downtown Hood River, Oregon, in the Columbia Gorge

Fueling Wage Growth, Business Expansion in the Columbia Gorge

Rural businesses on both sides of the Columbia River—from a brewery to an assisted living facility, from a Thai restaurant to a tribal fish market—are improving the local economy by hiring more employees and providing higher wages. These myriad small businesses have one thing in… [Read More]
Oregon
BusinessSmall Business

Additional Success Stories