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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: 76 Stories
woman standing beside new shower in bathroom

Investing in Safe, Affordable Housing on a South Dakota Reservation

Biological needs – sleep, food, water, air, shelter - form the base as they are of the greatest importance in maintaining life. Once a person has met the biological needs, the next concern is safety. In one of the poorest counties in the nation, Buffalo County, USDA Rural… [Read More]
GrantsHomeownershipTribalUnderserved
Red Shirt Table Overlook

Investing in the Basics of High Quality Education

As Acting State Director of USDA Rural Development in South Dakota, I want to ensure small South Dakotan communities have just as much opportunity to have successful business ventures, to build their community infrastructure, and to improve the quality of life in their hometowns… [Read More]
Economic DevelopmentGrants
Brendon Albers

Native Artists Enhance Community Economic Development

Because of the enduring impact of traditional arts and culture, both on and off reservations, Native artists represent an important yet undervalued asset for enhancing community economic development and creating stronger Indian nations and families. Rural Development awarded… [Read More]
BusinessGrantsRural Development
New Classroom.

New Classrooms at College Help Meet Demand for Higher Education

Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Nebraska, is experiencing continued growth in student enrollment which stands at 768 students for all campuses. This is a 40% increase and the trend is expected to continue as the college pursues a robust recruiting and public relations… [Read More]
Community CollegesCommunity FacilitiesGrantsTribal
Image of Minersville library renovation

New Equipment Revitalizes Small Town Library

Rural libraries often serve as community gathering places. Public voting, educational activities, and more take place in public libraries and the historic library in the Town of Minersville is no different.  Located twenty miles from any other town, the Minersville Public… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesGrants
Photo of Zuni Housing Authority building and sign out front.

New Homes Dedicated at Zuni Pueblo New Mexico

USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez joined State Director Terry Brunner to dedicate three homes at Zuni Pueblo and three apartment complexes in Gallup as part of National Homeownership Month celebrations. “Throughout my travels, I’ve seen how rural… [Read More]
GrantsHomeownershipHousingTribal

Additional Success Stories