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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: 769 Stories
Smiling woman standing in the open doorway of her home as seen from the porch of the home.

Flores family sets down roots in the City Beautiful

It was raining, it was pouring, but the only one snoring was Alma Flores’ son in his very own bedroom. On a rainy, spring Wednesday in Wisconsin, Alma hosted USDA Rural Development (RD) and Habitat for Humanity (HFH) to share her favorite things about her family’s new home.… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Yellow one-story house with a smiling woman on the porch.

Customer Recommends USDA for Home Repairs!

"I want to tell you what a wonderful experience I had working with USDA Rural Development..." began the customer appreciation letter written by senior citizen Connie Henson, of Spencer, West Virginia. Ms. Henson wrote, "I needed a new roof for my house and at my age wasn’t sure… [Read More]
Home RepairHomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Family standing on the lawn in front of a white two-story house. Two family members are in wheelchairs.

Dennis Family Finds a Home Without Boundaries

The Dennis family, Marc “Bill” and Nicole, broke ground on their new home in Carneys Point earlier this year. Mrs. Dennis is in a wheelchair and their home will be constructed with handicap accessible features throughout. The Dennis family is beyond excited because it has been… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Photo of Wyoming home owner

Mixing Old Memories With New Memories

Life hasn’t always been easy for Hayley. She is a single mother and going back to school to earn a bachelors degree. After making the time for school, she felt ready to plant some roots for her and her daughter. Upon learning she was approved for a USDA Rural Development home… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
DePaz Family Enjoying Their New Home in Columbus, Nebraska

DePaz Family Celebrates One Year Anniversary of Becoming Nebraska Homeowners

Jose and Jessica De Paz are celebrating. Last month marked the one-year anniversary of being homeowners, an accomplishment they weren’t sure they’d be able to realize, but they did their research and attended a homeownership education course in May 2020.  They were looking… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022
Family front porch of new home

From Wheels to Walls - Attaining the Dream of Homeownership

For many, owning your own home is the America Dream.  But the road to homeownership can be difficult to maneuver and include roadblocks and detours. Alexandria S., a widowed mother of four, is all too familiar with those bumps in the road and worked in partnership with the… [Read More]
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022Housing
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
Teachers from several schools in Johnston County, NC, participate in training utilizing Distance Learning equipment purchased through USDA Rural Development.

Rural Development Assisting College Bound with Distance Learning

Once Upon a Time, a student had to graduate high school before attending college. Now with the assistance of a $499 thousand Distance Learning Telemedicine Grant from USDA Rural Development students in Johnston County, North Carolina, may be well on their way to completing an… [Read More]
Distance LearningHealth Care
Blew Family with Rural Development State Director Jane Asselta and Congressman Malinowski

Family Farm Learns About Sustainable Options through North Jersey RC&D and Rural Development Partnership

The Blew family owns a sustainable farm in Hunterdon County. Oak Grove Plantation is considered a “Revolutionary” farm; all their products are free of GMO, preservatives, additives, and fillers. While they have a great start of going green, they turned to North Jersey RC &D… [Read More]
Energy

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