Several organizations throughout Appalachia will see federal grant money. Funds are designed to help strengthen coal-impacted economies.
The Appalachian Regional Commission announced nearly $2 million additional dollars this week for regions in Appalachia that have been affected by job losses related to the declining coal industry.
The funding is aimed to help retrain individuals in new careers, such as agriculture, technology, construction, or strategic planning for social growth in Central Appalachia.
$1.2 million of the award will go to the Natural Capital Investment Fund based in Shepherdstown. Nearly $600,000 will go to the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland, Kentucky. And just over $100,000 will be given to the Southern Appalachian Labor School in Kincaid.
The grant comes from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative. That $2 million is in addition to $94 million that was already awarded throughout 11 Appalachian states in the past year.