The Fletcher Group will receive over $9.2 million in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support its Connect Appalachia project, according to an announcement from U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The funding is part of the ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) program.
The grant aims to help implement economic development, workforce development, and substance abuse recovery programs across six Appalachian states, including all Kentucky counties served by the ARC. The initiative will involve collaboration with partners such as the Kentucky Chamber Foundation.
Senator McConnell commented on the grant, stating: “I appreciate the Fletcher Group’s hard work in helping Appalachian counties, including those in Kentucky, and I was pleased to contact the Trump Administration on their behalf to help secure this federal funding. The Fletcher Group is doing great work to address the impacts of the substance abuse and opioid epidemic. This federal funding will allow them to build workforce pipelines between employers and treatment and recovery providers, helping individuals in recovery find and maintain meaningful employment.”
Ernie Fletcher, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Fletcher Group, said: “I want to thank Senator McConnell for his continued support of projects like this that help Kentuckians maintain recovery and obtain meaningful employment, and we look forward to partnering with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation to achieve these goals in communities throughout Appalachia Kentucky. While progress has been made to reduce the number of overdose deaths in Kentucky and across the nation, there is still more work to do to reverse the tragic impact of substance use. That is why this project is so important as we will work to help transform lives.”
The Connect Appalachia project seeks not only to address substance abuse recovery but also aims at building stronger economic opportunities by linking individuals in recovery with job training and employment resources.
