FHKY awards grants to strengthen health and well-being in Kentucky communities
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky (FHKY) is excited to announce four new grants supporting projects that address the unmet health needs of Kentuckians. While the grants differ in scope and focus, each supports efforts to improve health by responding to the needs of Kentucky communities.
The following organizations were selected through FHKY’s unsolicited grant application process:
AppalReD Legal Aid
Photo from AppalReD expungement clinic
AppalReD Legal Aid, headquartered in Prestonsburg, KY, provides free legal services to low-income and vulnerable residents in eastern and south-central Kentucky. The organization is receiving a grant of $100,000 to expand its Project Renew initiative. The project integrates free civil legal services into the substance-use disorder recovery ecosystem. This improves people’s access to stable housing, reliable income, and family stability which creates a stronger foundation for long-term health and sustained recovery.
Central Kentucky Riding for Hope
Central Kentucky Riding for Hope is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the health of children and adults with special physical, cognitive, emotional and social needs through therapeutic activities with horses. The Lexington-based organization is receiving a grant of nearly $20,000 to support its newly established Stable Foundations program. It offers non-mounted, equine-assisted activities as part of an emotional regulation course for women in custody. The program improves access to mental health support in a form that is engaging, effective, and responsive to the needs of participants. The skills learned help participants navigate reentry into society and sets them up for better long-term health.
Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland
BackPack line volunteers
Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (FAKH) gathers and distributes food through local partnerships in 42 counties throughout central, south-central, and western Kentucky. The organization is headquartered in Elizabethtown, KY. It is receiving a grant of $50,000 to enhance its BackPack and School Pantry Programs and expand outreach to children affected by trauma. The programs will increase the availability of healthy foods for kids which is vital for their overall health and development.
Family Health Centers Louisville
Family Health Centers Louisville (FHC) is a non-profit, federally qualified health center system that serves medically underserved and low-income neighborhoods in Louisville, KY. FHC is receiving a grant of approximately $49,000 to expand its Bebé program. The initiative promotes maternal and child health by improving access to clinical lactation services and other important resources for infant care such as car seats and portable cribs. By expanding the capacity of this program, FHC will be able to help more families and address maternal and infant health disparities.
FHKY’s Unsolicited Grant Process
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky accepts unsolicited grant applications to ensure organizations have an opportunity to seek support for projects that may not align with the focus or timing of its other grant programs. Proposals are reviewed annually, and awards are made based on available funding and the potential of proposed projects to advance the Foundation’s mission. These grants are highly competitive, and funding availability and selection are not guaranteed. This process allows FHKY to discover innovative work and emerging needs across the Commonwealth—keeping us connected to efforts we might not otherwise know about—while reducing certain barriers to funding access.