Stories
Appalachia Rises Relief Fund Grants $1.3+ Million
A collaborative effort of Blue Grass Community Foundation + Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
With Kentucky’s eastern and Appalachian counties in distress following historic flooding in early March, Blue Grass Community Foundation was one of nine organizations that swiftly united to form a large-scale fundraising and relief effort.
Thanks to donations from BGCF fundholders, corporations, individuals and foundations across Kentucky, more than $1.3 million was distributed to assist communities repairing businesses, homes and infrastructure from devastating flood damage.
Launched by Morehead-based ag-tech leader AppHarvest, the initiative brought together the following organizations, proving once again that we make the greatest difference when we invest together to help our communities!
GRANT FUNDING
All proceeds were distributed by Blue Grass Community Foundation and Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky to individuals, families, farms, small businesses and local nonprofit organizations severely impacted by the historic floods.
INDIVIDUALS + FAMILIES
Total Granted: $270,000
Total Families Assisted: 540
Families across Appalachia Kentucky have been awarded $500 emergency grants for immediate needs like lodging, food and clothing in the following counties:
| Anderson | 1 |
| Boyd | 1 |
| Breathitt | 150 |
| Carter | 6 |
| Clark | 11 |
| Clay | 11 |
| Elliott | 1 |
| Estill | 61 |
| Floyd | 27 |
| Grayson | 1 |
| Greenup | 1 |
| Jackson | 6 |
| Johnson | 74 |
| Knott | 8 |
| Laurel | 2 |
| Lawrence | 9 |
| Lee | 42 |
| Leslie | 2 |
| Letcher | 3 |
| Madison | 1 |
| Magoffin | 19 |
| Martin | 27 |
| Morgan | 2 |
| Owsley | 18 |
| Perry | 21 |
| Pike | 10 |
| Powell | 10 |
| Pulaski | 1 |
| Rowan | 2 |
| Rockcastle | 4 |
| Wolfe | 2 |
LOCAL NONPROFITS
Total Amount Awarded: $422,000
Total Number of Nonprofits Assisted: 32
ROUND 1:
- Magoffin County Rescue Squad received a $5,000 grant to replace a vehicle that was lost while rescuing families & individuals.
- Magoffin County Senior Citizens received a $5,000 grant to serve increased number of senior citizens in need of food and supplies due to flooding.
- Water into Wine Food Pantry (Magoffin) received a $5,000 grant to increase response to individuals and families in need due to flooding.
ROUND 2:
- Aspire Appalachia (Breathitt County) received a $5,000 grant to assist families affected by flooding, find volunteer labor to rebuild homes, and provide monetary assistance for families in need of cleaning supplies, materials for home repairs and household items lost during flooding.
- Beattyville Housing & Development Corp (Lee County) received a $5,000 grant for recovery work in the housing sector.
- God’s Outreach Madison County Food Bank received a $10,000 grant to support restocking of its food pantry. Estill County Food Bank was severely damaged by flooding and lost more than $80,000 in food, as well as computers, freezers and coolers.
- Helping Hands Outreach (Estill County) received a $5,000 grant to support the rehabbing of the Helping Hands facility that has sustained damage. The all-volunteer organization has served as a central hub to the recovery efforts and has helped coordinate distribution of cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, and food to Estill County residents.
- Lee County Senior Center received a $5,000 grant to assist local senior citizens affected by flooding.
- Stay in Clay (Clay County) received a $5,000 grant to support direct relief work to Clay County families.
ROUND 3:
- 12 Baskets Pantry received a $5,000 grant to help feed families in Johnson County.
- Highland Community Food Basket received a $5,000 grant to respond to increased need and replace food lost during flooding.
- Housing Development Alliance in Hazard, which serves Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, and Perry counties, received a $5,000 grant to support families who have lost their homes, or have experienced serious damage to their homes, due to flooding.
- God’s Appalachian Partnership received a $5,000 grant to support volunteer work repairing and rebuilding homes damaged by flooding.
- Partnership Housing, Inc. received a $5,000 grant to address flooding issues in Booneville and throughout Owsley County.
- Veterans Referral Center received a $5,000 grant to replace and repair equipment damaged in flooding.
ROUND 4:
- Big Creek Missions (Leslie County) received a $5,000 grant to stock its food pantry.
- Emmanuel Baptist Church (Powell County) received a $5,000 grant to sustain its flood relief work, including servingas the headquarters for much of the flood relief work in Powell County. and housing and feeding fed flood relief volunteers.
- Estill County Agricultural Fair Association received a grant for $5,000 to restore the community fairground.
- Oil Springs Cultural Arts & Recreation Center (Johnson County) received a $5,000 grant to repair damage to its building and provide direct flood relief services, including organizing supplies and volunteers.
- Paintsville Main Street Players (Johnson County) received a $4,000 grant to repair its theater and replace equipment.
- Red Bird Mission (Clay, Bell and Leslie counties) received a $5,000 grant to provide home repairs and food for families in its service footprint.
- Red River Historical Society and Museum (Powell County) received a $5,000 grant repair damage to the museum and restore artifacts.
- Ridgepoint Church (Floyd County) received a $5,000 grant to provide supplies and organize volunteers for clean-up efforts.
- Route 23 Cultural Heritage Network (Johnson County) received a $5,000 grant to to support the Oil Springs Cultural Arts & Recreation Center (OSCAR) building damaged in the flood but continued to help others through direct relief services including organization supplies and volunteers.
- Three Forks Historical Museum, Inc. received a $5,000 grant to to support flood damage clean-up and repairs.
ROUND 5:
- Alice Lloyd College (Knott County) received a $5,000 grant to support the cost of make-shift classrooms and supplies lost due to flood damage.
- North Magoffin Volunteer Fire Department received a $5,000 grant to support repairing the station and parking lot that sustained damage due to the floods.
- Riverside Christian Training School (Breathitt County) received a $5,000 grant toto support the cleanup and repair of multiple campus structures that sustained significant flood damage.
ROUND 6:
- American Red Cross – Bluegrass Area Chapter received a $50,000 grant to support flood relief and recovery efforts for those affected by the floods in Appalachia Kentucky.
ROUND 7:
The following nonprofits received grants of $6,922 to support continued relief efforts for those impacted by recent flooding in Appalachia Kentucky:
- Magoffin County Senior Citizens
- Riverside Christian Training School
- God’s Appalachian Partnership
- Helping Hands Outreach Ministries, Inc.
- Magoffin County Rescue Squad
- Stay in Clay
- Three Forks Historical Museum, Inc.
- Housing Development Alliance
- Alice Lloyd College
- Lee County Senior Center
- Red Bird Mission
- Aspire Appalachia, Inc.
- 12 Baskets Food Pantry at The First Church of God
- Ridgepoint Church
- Beattyville Housing & Development Corporation, Inc.
- Water Into Wine Food Pantry
- Route 23 Cultural Heritage Network
- God’s Outreach Estill County Food Bank
- North Magoffin Volunteer Fire Department
- Big Creek Missions
- Highland Community Food Basket
- PLUS, Inc. dba Veterans Referral Center
- Partnership Housing, Inc.
- Emmanuel Baptist Church
- Estill County Agricultural Fair Association
- Red River Historical Society and Museum
- Paintsville Main Street Players
ROUND 8:
- Paintsville Little League received a $2,500 grant to support needed repairs and equipment replacement.
- Paintsville Recreation Center received $6,155 to to support flood damage repair on the local community center.
- Oneida Community Church received a $2,500 grant to support continued relief efforts for those impacted by recent flooding in Appalachia Kentucky.
SMALL BUSINESSES
Total Amount Awarded: $412,497
Total Number of Small Businesses Assisted: 104
Small businesses in the following counties were awarded grants of up to $5,000:
| Breathitt | 13 |
| Clark | 2 |
| Clay | 7 |
| Elliott | 1 |
| Estill | 10 |
| Floyd | 2 |
| Jackson | 1 |
| Johnson | 6 |
| Knott | 1 |
| Lawrence | 3 |
| Lee | 33 |
| Letcher | 1 |
| Magoffin | 7 |
| Martin | 2 |
| Owsley | 10 |
| Perry | 2 |
| Powell | 3 |
FARM GRANTS
Total Amount Awarded: $250,000
Total Number of Farms Assisted: 202
Farms in the following counties were awarded grants of up to $1,500:
| Breathitt | 20 |
| Carter | 6 |
| Clark | 4 |
| Clay | 23 |
| Elliott | 5 |
| Estill | 13 |
| Floyd | 3 |
| Green | 1 |
| Greenup | 1 |
| Jackson | 5 |
| Johnson | 5 |
| Knott | 1 |
| Laurel | 10 |
| Lawrence | 16 |
| Lee | 15 |
| Letcher | 7 |
| Madison | 7 |
| Magoffin | 14 |
| Martin | 2 |
| Morgan | 21 |
| Owsley | 6 |
| Perry | 5 |
| Powell | 4 |
| Rockcastle | 3 |
| Rowan | 1 |
| Wolfe | 3 |
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