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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: 767 Stories
Rural Housing Administrator Joaquin Altoro

USDA Renews Local Partnership to Ensure People Living in the Northern Mariana Islands Have Safe and Affordable Homes

SAIPAN, MP, April 24, 2024 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service Administrator Joaquin Altoro announced that USDA is renewing its partnership with a local lender to ensure people living in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have access… [Read More]
HomeownershipHousing
On April 23, 2024, more than 70 residents, public officials, and health care professionals gathered at Punxsutawney Area Hospital to break ground on a $23 million renovation project.

USDA Helps Improve Health Care Facility in Punxsutawney

On April 23, 2024, more than 70 residents, public officials, and health care professionals gathered at Punxsutawney Area Hospital to break ground on a $23 million renovation project. The renovations funded through a USDA Community… [Read More]
Community Facilities
City-of-Carbon

Revitalizing a Community: How Rural Development Helped City of Carbon After a Devastating Wildfire

In the wake of a catastrophic wildfire that ravaged the City of Carbon, leaving 85 homes destroyed and the water system severely impacted, Sylvia Gosnell, the dedicated City Secretary, found herself facing immense challenges. The fire had torn through the water plant, leaving it… [Read More]
Water
Staff from HH Design in Britton, SD

HH Design selected as Young Entrepreneur of the Year by SBA

Submitted by GROW SOUTH DAKOTA Hillarey Warner owner of HH Design in Britton, South Dakota, was selected to be the U.S. Small Business Administration’s South Dakota 2024 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, after being nominated by GROW SD. After graduating from Northern State… [Read More]
BusinessRural DevelopmentSmall BusinessValue Added
refrigerated section of a grocery store. well lit and has items like orange juice in it.

More Than Business: Rural Grocers a Lifeline for Locals

Four short miles north of Lake Sakakawea and just along the highway as you enter Garrison, ND, (population: 1,467), sits a non-descript, beige warehouse. As the saying goes, if you blink too long, you might miss it. From the outside, Krause’s SuperValu might look like any other… [Read More]
REAP
Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods… [Read More]
Wastewater
A photo of a man and a woman holding packages of cheese and smiling is inset against a photo of a long driveway bordered by trees and fields with a "cattle crossing" sign on the right side.

VAPG Provides a Buffer for a Maine Organic Creamery

Co-owners of Balfour Farm in Pittsfield, Heather and Doug Donahue have adapted to many changes as dairy farmers. First, they switched careers and began farming in 2004. They learned about farming and experimented with different breeds. Next came a move a move from New York to… [Read More]
BusinessClean EnergyEntrepreneurFood SupplyLocal FoodsREAPRenewable EnergyValue Added
Classroom at Little Sprouts Learning Center that benefitted from HVAC and energy efficiency lighting upgrades.

Little Sprouts Cooling Off in Alcoa, Tennessee

Babies crying, toddlers learning, preschoolers preparing for Kindergarten…Little Sprouts Learning Center in Alcoa, Tennessee invites their families to “Come Grow With Us”. This 8,500 square foot childcare facility offers seven classrooms, a cafeteria, and two playgrounds. Ms.… [Read More]
REAP
Water Treatment Plant Construction

Popular Grove Utility District Prepares for New Growth

With a population of more than 20,000 residents and an expected growth of approximately 10,000 new residents, the Poplar Grove Utility District in Tipton County, Tennessee understands the importance of being able to support the new growth coming to their community. In September… [Read More]
Water
Stakeholders at West Portsmouth, Ohio, wastewater treatment plant.

Wastewater Treatment Gets Upgrade in Rural Ohio

West Portsmouth, Ohio, sitting serenely near the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers in Appalachia, now has an upgraded wastewater treatment plant.  According to J.P. Pickelsimer, Scioto County Sanitary Engineer, West Portsmouth’s treatment facility – built in the… [Read More]
WastewaterWater

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