Kentucky

Knott

Hindman, KY: Overcoming Challenges and Upgrading Water Services 

Using BIL funds, the City of Hindman was able to overcome cost barriers to critical water system upgrades.

• Coal-Impacted Communities
• Community Infrastructure
• COVID-19 Response

Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Central Appalachia: Increasing Capital Access in Coal Communities

ARC POWER partners are using millions to make financial resources accessible for coal-impacted communities.

• Coal-Impacted Communities

Kentucky, Ohio

Shawnee State University: Building a Behavioral Health Workforce 

With support from ARC’s INSPIRE initiative, many Appalachian communities are addressing substance use disorder (SUD) by bolstering recovery-to-work programs and related support services. Portsmouth, Ohio and the surrounding area – which includes both Southern Ohio and several counties in north central Appalachian Kentucky – is no…

• Education and Training
• Substance Use Disorder

Kentucky

Pike

Pikeville, KY: New Wastewater Technology Supports a Growth Mindset 

Building Appalachia’s infrastructure has been an ARC investment priority for 58 years, especially the development and maintenance of basic infrastructure systems for water, sewer, energy, and stormwater. ARC’s Area Development Program invested $66.8 million in water and sewer projects alone in Fiscal Year 2022.

• Coal-Impacted Communities
• Community Infrastructure

Kentucky

Dataseam: Growing the IT Workforce in Eastern Kentucky

Like many coal-impacted areas in Appalachia, Eastern Kentucky is tackling economic transition head-on by diversifying its economic bases and creating new opportunities in communities. Emerging industries such as information technology (IT), computer science, and engineering have shown promise, but a shortage of IT talent was keeping the region from reaching…

• Coal-Impacted Communities
• Education and Training
• Training and Opportunities

Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Northern and Central Appalachia: Expanding Tourism Through Outdoor Recreation  

In KY, PA, VA, and WV, ARC partners are building trails and tourism experiences.

• Asset-Based Development
• Coal-Impacted Communities
• Tourism Development

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. …

• Coal-Impacted Communities
• Entrepreneurship and Business Development
• Training and Opportunities

Kentucky

Letcher, Perry

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…

• Substance Use Disorder
• Training and Opportunities

Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildlands: Building a Recreation Destination 

The Kentucky Wildlands is driving economic development and regional tourism across 14,000-square-miles of “largely untamed wilderness.”…

• Tourism Development

Kentucky

Whitley

Why Whitley: Designing a New Community Narrative

UK Landscape Architecture rendering of River Fog Park (Image courtesy of Why Whitley Facebook) 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,…

• Leadership Development and Capacity Building

Kentucky

Pike County Health Department: Helping Workers Rebuild  

Through woodworking, men in recovery will learn skills and create for their communities.

• Substance Use Disorder

Kentucky

Perry

Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky: Revitalizing, Redeveloping and Reinvesting in Communities

This story is one of several “Stories of Change” highlighted in a new evaluation of ARC’s POWER Initiative.

• Economic Status
• Entrepreneurship and Business Development
• Tourism Development

Kentucky

Community Farm Alliance: Making Farmers Markets Stronger 

In Kentucky, Community Farm Alliance has worked for 36 years to help Kentucky communities, farmers markets, and producers reap those important benefits.

• Asset-Based Development
• Entrepreneurship and Business Development

Kentucky

Knott, Perry

Kentucky River Community Care: Building Bridges to Long-Term Recovery

At 39% participation, Eastern Kentucky has the lowest workforce participation rate among ages 18-24 in the nation. This area also finds itself at the epicenter of our nation’s substance abuse crisis, creating a unique challenge for both the health and economic capacity of communities. That’s why a number of organizations, like Kentucky River Community Care, Inc. (KRCC), work every day…

• Substance Use Disorder

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…

• COVID-19 Response