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    HomeInvestments in Action

      	
				
	
	
	
	
	
	Investments in Action
  

Every year, ARC investments support hundreds of economic development projects benefiting Appalachia’s 423 counties. Projects align with one of five goals outlined in our current Strategic Plan. The resulting investments ultimately help Appalachian communities address economic disparity and advance prosperity.
Explore stories from ARC projects and partners across the Appalachian Region.States & Counties
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		Topics
			See AllClear all filtersKentucky
			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 DevelopmentOhio    
    ACEnet: Empowering Local Food Entrepreneurs

          In Appalachian Ohio, local food provides a clear path to opportunity, and resilience, in communities.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Entrepreneurship and Business DevelopmentWest Virginia    
    West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition: Growing Local Food Opportunities

          WVFFC provides statewide leadership in local food so farmers and agriculture businesses can thrive, ultimately nourishing and strengthening their communities.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Entrepreneurship and Business DevelopmentWest Virginia    
    Sprouting Farms: Supporting the Future of Farming

          Sprouting Farms grows Southern West Virginia’s local food systems through education, resource sharing, land access, and food production.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Entrepreneurship and Business DevelopmentKentucky    
    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 DevelopmentWest Virginia    
    The EdVenture Group: Celebrating 20 Years of Service in West Virginia and Beyond

          EdVenture is driving educational change and empowering Appalachian students.
    
    
    
          Education and Training
          Training and OpportunitiesTennessee
			Unicoi    
    Erwin Utilities: Enhancing Broadband in Unicoi County

          The town of Erwin, Tennessee is nestled in the mountains of Unicoi County (pictured above) and home to just over 6,000 residents. Though the area is abundant in undisturbed natural assets and access to major roadways, Unicoi is considered economically at-risk and has faced its fair share of challenges. After the coal-industry-related closure of a CSX rail yard in Erwin, around...
    
    
    
          Community InfrastructureTennessee
			Cocke    
    Great Smoky Mountains: Adventure Creates Opportunity in Tennessee

          In the Great Smoky Mountains, Cocke County is using ARC support on a new biking trail.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Tourism DevelopmentNew York, West Virginia
			Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua
															Preston    
    Trail Systems: Guiding Communities to Opportunities

          Every Appalachian state has ample trail opportunities, from the Tanglefoot Trail in Mississippi, to South Carolina’s Swamp Rabbit Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Trails are incredible gateways for attracting outside visitors and increasing quality of life for community members. ARC partners have long worked to establish trail systems that...
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Tourism DevelopmentWest Virginia
			Kanawha, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Webster    
    New River Gorge: America’s Newest National Park

          ARC investments help communities and entrepreneurs sustainably leverage this incredible asset.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Tourism DevelopmentPennsylvania
			Allegheny, Bradford, Warren    
    Pennsylvania Wilds: Connecting Nature, Culture, and Entrepreneurship

          Fifty state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, and one National Forest make the Pennsylvania Wilds.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Tourism DevelopmentOhio
			Athens, Hocking, Perry    
    Rural Action: Moving Forest Communities Forward in Ohio

          Rural Action is using ARC support, and a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, to help coal-impacted communities boost trails and tourism.
    
    
    
          Asset-Based Development
          Tourism DevelopmentWest Virginia
			Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Summers, Webster    
    West Virginia University Research Corporation: Inspiring Hope in the Mountain State

          West Virginia, though improving in many measures, has the most drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people of any other state. Fortunately, the Mountain State also has an incredible host of ARC partners, local leaders, and community members committed to overcoming this challenge. This list includes West Virginia University Research Corporation and the Institute for Community and Rural Health (WVU...
    
    
    
          Substance Use Disorder
          Training and OpportunitiesKentucky
			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 DisorderNorth Carolina
			Wilkes    
    Wilkes Recovery Revolution: Supporting Fresh Starts in North Carolina

          Since 2016, Wilkes Recovery Revolution, Inc. (WRR) has worked to make recovery a reality in North Carolina. WRR was founded by Devin Lyall,  whose own experience in long-term recovery helps inform the nonprofit’s services, peer-driven structure and leadership – including a board of directors made up of over 50% individuals in recovery. WRR’s partnership with ARC began in 2019, when Lyall began...
    
    
    
          Substance Use Disorder Appalachian Regional Commission

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