In the Region - July 2, 2026 | Volume 11, Issue 26
ARC NEWS
Bridges to Work in Eastern Kentucky 🌟
In Hazard, Kentucky, both workers and employers see benefits from recovery-to-work programs.
Kentucky River Community Care’s Bridges to Work program used $500K in INSPIRE funding to help young adults in recovery gain the stability and skills needed for long-term employment.
For employers, this created access to a new pool of motivated job candidates who were supported with counseling and job-readiness training before and during their paid internships.
The initiative ultimately improved outcomes for 49 businesses and far exceeded its workforce goals, demonstrating that recovery-informed workforce strategies can help strengthen talent pipelines and address workforce vacancies.
COMMUNITY
$1M in ARC funds will support a new 250,000-gallon elevated water storage tank and 1,000 linear feet of water main in Dora, Alabama. 🚰 The new water access will enable development at nearby Heritage Landing.
In Jefferson, North Carolina, ARC funds are improving agricultural businesses and training the next generation of the industry’s workers at the Ashe County Agricultural Center. 🌽 Services provided include training, events and facilities like a livestock market.
In Bland County, Virginia, residents will soon have improved access to essential oral health services with the opening of a new dental clinic in spring 2027. 🦷 Brushy Mountain Dentistry will provide care to all patients, regardless of financial status.AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITIES
POWER Applicants: Pathways Office Hours July 6
Attention, POWER applicants with questions about Pathways! Register for the July 6 virtual office hours now. ARC staff will be on hand to answer questions from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET.
Applicants are encouraged to bring their Pathways questions to the office hours; capacity to answer last-minute emailed questions may be limited.
POWER applications are due July 8. ⚡
Join the READY Local Governments Webinar
Local government officials looking to build skills in overseeing the lifecycle of federal grants can register now for a READY Local Governments pre-application webinar on July 9.
Read the Notice of Solicitation of Applications to learn more about the virtual training program now. 💪
APPALACHIA IN THE NEWS
Northern Appalachia
Central Appalachia
$1.5M grant to support brownfield site redevelopment within Mount Rogers Planning District, WJHL
Foothills airport grant could mean jobs, economic growth, The Paper
McArthur Center to prepare University of Rio Grande health care and manufacturing students, WCHS
Southern Appalachia
EVENTS
Pathways Office Hours
July 6, 2026; virtual
Orientation to Appalachian Region Healthcare Technical Assistance Center (ARH-TAC)
July 9, 2026; virtual
Maryland Grant Application Workshop
July 16, 2026; Cumberland, Maryland
Alabama Grant Application Workshop
July 23, 2026; Montgomery, Alabama
Pennsylvania Grant Application Webinar
August 6, 2026; virtual
2026 SOAR Summit
October 7–9, 2026; Corbin, Kentucky
