VANCEBURG — In early 2011, an AppaCARES chapter will launch in Lewis County.

The organization will focus on community access to resources; support and education for vulnerable populations including children, the elderly and individuals who need assistance to meet immediate needs; and helping people transition to better and sustainable lives.  

AppaCARES is a member-based cooperative association for non-profit entities to work together to provide services to the community and strive for capacity — building and sustainability.  

The Lewis County CARES chapter will be housed at 83 Third St. in Vanceburg. Once renovated, future programs of AppaPhil and the Lewis County CARES Chapter will take place in the Carter House, which is being donated to the Center for Appalachian Philanthropy by the City of Vanceburg through its city council.  The Center for Appalachian Philanthropy (AppaPhil), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is the parent organization facilitating AppaCARES programs in both Carter and Lewis counties.

“Lewis County has been identified as a significantly distressed county, ranked in the worst 10 percent of the nation’s economically depressed counties,” AppaPhil Executive Director Mandilyn Hart said.

According to recent Census Bureau information, the average unemployment rate for the county for 2010 as of November was 14.42 percent.

“Its greatest need is to create jobs for its residents and through the nurturing of this AppaCARES chapter and the MiAppa (Made in Appalachia) entrepreneurship program, the creation of new small businesses will transition and transform Lewis County. The county has many talented, hardworking individuals who will greatly benefit from access to the resources, education and support they will receive,” Hart said.  

According to the Lewis County CARES Director Anita M. Gilbert, the program will provide the county with two major benefits.  

“First, it provides opportunities for individuals to become productive, self-sufficient citizens and encourages them to have their family members to do the same.  Second, while it meets the individual’s immediate emergency needs, it also provides an assessment of their long-term needs and gives them the tools and the confidence to reach their life goals,” she said.

AppaCARES and its affiliated programs have the potential to significantly impact Lewis County communities in a number of ways.  Individuals will be interviewed and their needs assessed; those in need will receive more streamlined access to existing programs of assistance; individuals will have the opportunity to participate in training programs; community involvement will increase; new small businesses will be developed and new jobs created; and the communities will receive increased tax revenues.  In addition, through AppaCARES, Appalachian heritage and civic responsibility will be actively promoted.

The Center for Appalachian Philanthropy exists for the purpose of connecting people’s time, talent and treasure for the good of Appalachian Communities.  AppaPhil’s primary goal is to attract philanthropic investment in Appalachia by offering networking platforms and educational support services to non-profits and by providing and attracting resources that help organizations fulfill their missions to better their communities.  

AppaPhil provides services through five primary program areas: Health and human services, non-profit resources, building community, faith-based partnerships, and growing philanthropy. More information can be found online at www.appaphil.com.

For more information or to make a donation to the Lewis County or Carter County CARES chapters, call Hart or Tammy Cooper at the Center for Appalachian Philanthropy at (740) 876-4262 or Gilbert, at (606) 757-4871. The mailing address for the Lewis County CARES chapter is P.O. Box 690, Vanceburg, KY 41179. The mailing address for the Carter County CARES chapter is P.O. Box 1139, Grayson, KY 41143.