In 2024, ARC awarded $10M in POWER funds to healthcare workforce development projects in coal-impacted communities across the Appalachian Region.

Join Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for a virtual workshop to learn more about ARC’s Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative. Sessions will provide applicants the opportunity to better understand the INSPIRE Initiative and what makes a well-rounded application, hear an overview of the key…

Recovering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) can be a vicious cycle, especially when it comes to accessing the treatment and support services needed to successfully secure meaningful employment. Furthermore, it’s not just an individual who feels these effects, but entire communities. In upstate South Carolina, public services in Cherokee,…

In Greenville, South Carolina, Feed & Seed Co. is on a mission to serve farmers and families through a sustainable local food system. Their multi-purpose facility – located in Greenville County’s most food-insecure zip code – acts as a one-stop shop for both food entrepreneurs…

Nestled in Northeast Tennessee, Johnson and Carter counties have strengths and challenges similar to many other Appalachian communities. Their location offers rich culture and easy access to outdoor adventures in “mountain and lake country.” However, the mountainous geography has also resulted in limited access to transportation, housing, and other critical…

When Kevin Simmers lost his daughter Brooke to an opioid overdose in 2015, he knew he needed to honor her legacy by carrying out her dream: opening a transitional house for women recovering from substance use disorder. He and his wife, Dana, broke ground on Brooke’s House three years…

In West Virginia, Libera, Inc. is working to help women and teens embody the state’s beloved motto, “montani semper liberi,” or “mountaineers are always free.” Named for the feminine form of the word “liberi,” Libera envisions a Mountain State where every woman and teen is free…

This study analyzed the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within the Appalachian Region, focusing on mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. It served as an update to the 2017 ARC report looking at…

This report includes 14 recommendations developed by ARC’s Substance Abuse Advisory Council to support a robust recovery ecosystem in Appalachia.