The Bland Ministry Center and Dental Clinic last week was recommended for a half a million dollars in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin recommended $7.4 million for ARC funding, including the $500,000 to be used for the Bland Ministry Dental Clinic.
Youngkin recommended 16 project for grants. ARC will finalize approval of the projects later this year.
Other projects in line for money includes a $700,000 recommendation for phase one renovation work on the Barter Theatre campus, with the money set to go to the Barter Foundation.
The governor also recommended $300,000 go to Friends of Southwest Virginia for its Gateways to Southwest Virginia: Outdoor Economy Recreation Plan, and another $300,000 for the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Foundation’s regional simulation lab for nursing and allied health.
‘Round the Mountain: SWVA’s Artisan Network is set to receive $100,000 for the Southwest Virginia Artisan Gateway Project. Washington County is recommended for $100,000 to deploy broadband in Mendota and the Creeper Trail. The Crooked Road is in line to receive $64,135 for Celebrating the Crooked Road.
“ARC funding plays a pivotal role in empowering Appalachian communities to address their unique challenges, capitalize on their unique assets and drive positive change,” said Youngkin. “These projects will create new economic opportunities, build critical infrastructure and support community development across Appalachian communities that too often go underserved.”
“By funding targeted projects such as improved water systems, community centers and broadband access, we are diversifying and strengthening both the economy and the quality of life for those in Appalachia,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “We are actively fostering economic growth and signifying our unwavering commitment to the prosperity and resilience of the region.”
Established in 1965, the goal of the ARC program is to assist the region in achieving economic parity reflective of the nation’s overall economic growth. The Virginia ARC region encompasses 25 counties and eight independent cities in Southwest Virginia. ARC grants are aimed at supporting the goal of building a strong and sustainable asset-based economy by funding projects that serve as catalysts for bringing jobs and prosperity to Appalachian communities, all while preserving their character.
“ARC grants are an important resource for transformation of Appalachia,” said Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Director Bryan Horn. “The program’s flexibility allows us to offer targeted assistance in community-identified areas, filling in funding gaps and empowering Virginia’s Appalachian communities.”
In other ARC news, the commission awarded $464,000 to Friends of Southwest Virginia to fund planning services, a paid staff position, and two partner conferences in an effort to develop high-quality projects in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.
“Southwest Virginia, and Appalachia as a whole, have so much to offer, with both extensive natural beauty and rich culture. This grant from ARC will help the Friends of Southwest Virginia develop a host of projects that make the most of the unique characteristics of our region,” said U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith.
According to the Friends of Southwest Virginia, their mission is to preserve, promote and present the cultural and natural assets of Southwest Virginia; to work in partnership in the region to generate economic development through these efforts; to provide educational and cultural opportunities for the general public and students of the region, and; to showcase the cultural assets of Southwest Virginia at the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood).
