COVID-19 Response

Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia

Athens

Appalachian States Lead on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

It’s been a full year since the nation’s first confirmed COVID-19 case. With federal plans to amp up vaccinations as soon as possible, it’s important to take a look at how Appalachian states are responding to, and in some cases leading, vaccination…
Investment in Action
North Carolina

Buncombe

Creating PPE for Nurses and School Officials in Western North Carolina

STEMwork in western North Carolina (WNCSTEMwork) is a teacher professional development initiative of the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology, and Science at North Carolina State University. With ARC support, this program supports six middle and high school teachers from ten counties as they develop their capacity to lead and…
Investment in Action
North Carolina

EmPOWERing North Carolina’s Farmers and Small Businesses

In October 2019, North Carolina State University (NCSU) received a $1.1 million grant from ARC’s POWER Initiative to launch EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems. The project initially intended to strengthen a seven-county “foodshed” in Western North Carolina by helping current producers become more profitable and training new farmers…
Investment in Action
Georgia

Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Helps Small Businesses in Georgia During COVID-19

TJ Kaikobad and his wife, Danielle, of Cyra’s Simple Goodness Restaurant in Dalton, Georgia, recently received ACE’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award.Photo courtesy of Erik Voss With ARC support, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) in Cleveland, Georgia, is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing access to capital and business…
Investment in Action
Woman sews medical safety gear in light of COVID-19 in North Carolina
North Carolina

Burke

The Industrial Commons: Carolina Textile District Pivots to PPE Production

Eulalia Francisco, a sewer at Opportunity Threads in Morganton, North Carolina, is one of 600 regional sewers mobilized by The Industrial Commons to produce medical safety gear. The Industrial Commons, based in Morganton, North Carolina, is a nonprofit developing interconnected social enterprises to solve problems for businesses and workers. The…
Investment in Action