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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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Find Stories

Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 878 Stories
Single Family Housing - Cathy Sylvester

Building a Better Future: Cathy Sylvester's Journey with USDA Rural Development

Cathy Sylvester's journey has been a remarkable testament to perseverance and resilience. She purchased a home through USDA Rural Development Indiana in 2018 as a single mom. With a USDA 502 Direct Loan, she got a modest and comfortable space for herself and her two sons,… [Read More]
Indiana
Homeownership 2024
Joe Lewis, Rural Development home repair program recipient.

From Devastation to Renewal: The Journey of Mr. Joe Lewis

Inspiring Journey to Home RepairMeet Mr. Joe Lewis. Like his namesake, the former first black world heavyweight champion, Mr. Lewis, at 84 years old, is a champion in spirit. Living in Monterey, Louisiana, the unincorporated community in Concordia Parish, Mr. Lewis is one of the… [Read More]
Louisiana
Home RepairHousing
Man standing in front of Victor's Drive-In, Hamburgers sign

Rural Business Development Grant Keeps Rural Business Running

Some places evoke wonderful memories of joyful years gone by. Victor’s Drive-In in Peñasco, New Mexico, is just that kind of place. Victor Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran, and his wife, Barbara, opened the restaurant in 1971.After over 50 years in business, the restaurant’s… [Read More]
New Mexico
GrantsLocal FoodsSmall Business
People standing in front of large bio-fertilizer storage tank.

Fertilizer Grant Helps Northeast Ohio Crops Grow

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process that uses microorganisms to break down organic materials, producing both biogas and a nutrient rich byproduct, or digestate, that can be used as fertilizer for crops. quasar energy group's… [Read More]
Ohio
Biobased
Man standing in front of Desert Aire Hotel sign

REAP Grant Helps Hotel Go 100 Percent Solar

While many companies build new hotels for efficiency, the Classic Desert Aire Hotel in Alamogordo, New Mexico, built in the 1950s, was not. Despite that, the hotel’s large roof recently offered an unexpected benefit for sustainability.“This property was built almost for solar —… [Read More]
New Mexico
GrantsREAPSolar Energy
Two USDA staff pose with the homeowner in the grassy front yard of her new home with fall foliage in the background.

"They are still in my corner": Rural Development and Habitat for Humanity Help First-time Homebuyer

When Amber first applied to purchase a home through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor, she had just started a new job and was looking forward to positive changes for her family. A relative had told her about Habitat’s mission helping people work with volunteers to build… [Read More]
Maine
Community CollegesHomeownership
Brian Bundy with companion, Maddie at their home in Raymond, WA

Dear USDA Rural Development

I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to this department, especially to Trudy Teter and her housing team. I would not have received a loan from USDA if it weren’t for them. I sincerely hope USDA continues this loan program and extends it, as I know there are thousands of… [Read More]
Washington
Homeownership 2024
Hatchery Row Ribbon Cutting

Multi-Use Development Helps to Revitalize Battle Lake’s Downtown

The Hatchery Row project in Battle Lake, funded by a $99,000 Rural Business Development Grant, helped to bring much-needed services and housing to a prominent vacation town. The project has marked a significant milestone in revitalizing Battle Lake's downtown and has been… [Read More]
Minnesota
Business
Man standing in front of wastewater treatment facility

Colonias Grant Brings New Wastewater Treatment Plant to Anthony, New Mexico

In southern New Mexico along the Rio Grande and the Texas border, the small City of Anthony is no stranger to the benefits of partnering with USDA Rural Development. The small community of less than 10,000 residents is a designated colonia, making it eligible for grants and… [Read More]
New Mexico
WastewaterWater
Blue shirt with wife and catdog

Building a Legacy: Andrew Michael Cochran’s Journey to Homeownership with USDA’s Mutual Self Help Program

For Andrew Michael Cochran, home is more than just a place—it’s a legacy. At just 23 years old, Andrew made the decision to build his own home through USDA Rural Development’s Mutual Self Help Program, following in the footsteps of his parents, who had done the same when he was… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership

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