NEWS RELEASE – December 21, 2022
ARH Foundation Helping Families - Prestonsburg, KY
December 21, 2022 – The ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities continues to help families who suffered devastating losses as a result of the catastrophic flooding in Eastern Kentucky in July.
Over 260 people, including more than 80 children make up the 59 families still living in the Jenny Wiley State Park campground, lodge, and cabins. These displaced flood victims have been housed at the state park for months although plans are in the works to have these families moved to more permanent housing situations in the near future.
Today, thanks to the generous donations from across Kentucky and the nation to the ARH Foundation, each of these 59 families will receive a check for $5,000.00. The money can be used for whatever the family needs from building supplies to clothing to Christmas presents and anything in between. ARH representatives will be dispensing these checks today.
Danielle Harmon, System Director of Community Development for ARH, comments, ”The ARH Foundation has been raising and distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars in flood relief funds since the catastrophic floods in July, and I’m so happy to be here representing them today. Providing this amount of money can be life-changing for some families! There are so many that are still without stable housing, and we hope this can be a catalyst to help get them back on their feet.”
Picture attached: from L to R, Kentucky State Representative Ashley Tackett-Laferty, Senior Advisor Rocky Adkins, Governor Andy Beshear, ARH Director of Community Development Danielle Harmon, ARH Vice President of External Affairs Rocky Massey, ARH Legislative Lobbyist Dalton Hatfield and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman.
At this time, the ARH Foundation has distributed approximately $1.1 million dollars in relief funds to families and over 3 million pounds of supplies.
State Representative Ashley Tackett Laferty comments, ““Here in Eastern Kentucky, showing hospitality and offering a helping hand has always been a very special part of our heritage. We are truly a community of neighbors helping neighbors, always looking for ways that we can help others during their time of need. This news is truly touching and I cannot thank the ARH Foundation enough for making these gracious gifts possible. This is further proof that the people of Eastern Kentucky look out for one another and it seems just a little more magical that this announcement is being made just a few days before Christmas. These gifts reaffirm the commitment of our community to be here for our families who were flooded until they fully get back on their feet.”
If you wish to donate to the ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities’ continuing fundraising efforts for flood victims, please visit https://arhfoundation.app.neoncrm.com/forms/arh-foundation-give-1
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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies. ARH employs more than 6,500 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $330 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 600 active and courtesy medical staff members. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.