Investments in Action

Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Central Appalachia: Growing Opportunities Through Local Food

Since 2015, ARC’s POWER Initiative has invested millions in projects working to create jobs, fuel new industries, and prepare workers and students for new opportunities in coal-impacted communities. The largest POWER funding package to date was awarded in October 2022, with particular momentum for one emerging sector: local food. …
Investment in Action
Maryland

Allegany

Frostburg State University: Advancing Technology in Western Maryland 

In September 2021, Frostburg State University received the state of Maryland’s first-ever ARC POWER implementation grant. The $1,480,979 award helped continue the development of the Advanced Technology Center at Frostburg’s Innovation Park, which works to strengthen Western Maryland’s economy by creating new job opportunities…
Investment in Action
Tennessee

Carter

A.C.T.I.O.N. Coalition Inc.: Growing Achievable Pathways to Employment in Johnson County

Nestled in Northeast Tennessee, Johnson and Carter counties have strengths and challenges similar to many other Appalachian communities. Their location offers rich culture and easy access to outdoor adventures in “mountain and lake country.” However, the mountainous geography has also resulted in limited access to transportation, housing, and other critical…
Investment in Action
Maryland

Washington

Brooke’s House: Giving New Purpose to Women in Recovery

When Kevin Simmers lost his daughter Brooke to an opioid overdose in 2015, he knew he needed to honor her legacy by carrying out her dream: opening a transitional house for women recovering from substance use disorder. He and his wife, Dana, broke ground on Brooke’s House three years…
Investment in Action
West Virginia

Libera, Inc: Empowering Women and Teens in West Virginia 

In West Virginia, Libera, Inc. is working to help women and teens embody the state’s beloved motto, “montani semper liberi,” or “mountaineers are always free.” Named for the feminine form of the word “liberi,” Libera envisions a Mountain State where every woman and teen is free…
Investment in Action
Kentucky

Letcher

Fahe: Building a Recovery-Friendly Workforce 

In 1980, Fahe was founded to provide access to workforce training and financial resources for locally-rooted nonprofit organizations. Its founding members quickly learned they could “go further together,” and has since grown into a strong network of 50+ nonprofits from six states working toward a…
Investment in Action
Pennsylvania

Cambria

Startup Alleghenies: Empowering the Cycle of Entrepreneurship

Since 1974, JARI has supported the economic growth and diversification of Pennsylvania’s Southern Alleghenies region. Their service area in Greater Johnstown, Pennsylvania historically relied on the steel and coal industries, and like other Appalachian communities needed to diversify its local and regional economic bases to improve long-term vitality.  In order to best carry out its…
Investment in Action
Alabama

Fayette

Lisa Bright: Breaking Barriers to Recovery

When Will Bright passed away in 2014 from an overdose, his mother, Lisa Bright, knew she had to turn her pain into purpose. She and her husband, Bill, started the Will Bright Foundation to both honor their son and provide others with a safe, supportive environment for their recovery…
Investment in Action
Kentucky

Whitley

Why Whitley: Designing a New Community Narrative

In 2018 in Whitley County, Kentucky, a group of passionate citizens held a dinner to discuss ways to change the narrative surrounding the community. There were so many things to be proud of within the county, but it seemed like news coverage consistently revolved around the same, tired stereotype of…
Investment in Action
North Carolina

Philip Cooper: Inspiring Change

For Philip Cooper, helping his community recover from substance use disorder is a personal, lifelong commitment.
Investment in Action
Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Monroe Allegheny Marion

TEAMing Up: A Regional Partnership Story

This story is one of several "Stories of Change" highlighted in a new evaluation of ARC's POWER Initiative.
Investment in Action