Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was at the Brighton Center in Newport Thursday, where he announced $1 million worth of funding to 15 nonprofit organizations in Campbell County.
Direct relief payments of varying amounts were given to the nonprofits to support their long-term sustainability.
“We are honored that [Beshear] traveled to Northern Kentucky and to Campbell County to personally present the incredible gifts to some amazing nonprofit organizations who really are helping to make our community thrive,” said Brighton Center President and CEO Wonda Winkler.
The awards come from the Nonprofit Assistance Fund, which is dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations across the state recover from the pandemic. Those funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act, which Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021. In 2022, the Kentucky General Assembly made funding allocations.
“These awards are a testament to the faith and values that this county and this community show day in and day out,” Beshear said, calling those who work at nonprofits “some of the most selfless, hardworking, dedicated people.”
- Brighton Center: $100,000.
“The funds in support of Brighton Center and Brighton Properties were a true blessing to our work of ensuring those we serve are financially stable, independent and have the best quality of life possible,” Winkler said. “Specifically, we are using the funds to support our workforce development and emergency assistance efforts and to ensure that families have access to housing that is affordable at 30% of their income.”
- Brighton Properties: $100,000.
- Holly Hill Child & Family Solutions: $100,000.
“We are deeply grateful to Gov. Beshear for his leadership in bringing attention to the critical issues surrounding adolescent behavioral and mental health in Kentucky,” said CEO James Sherry. “Our staff’s dedication and hard work have made this grant possible, and we are humbled by the support we have received. We look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in the lives of our clients and their families.”
- Inspiring Service, doing business as Cincinnati Cares: $100,000.
“It’s important for programs like Cincinnati Cares to be able to connect prospective volunteers with the volunteer organizations in our community,” said Cincinnati Cares CEO Doug Bolton. “That’s what we do every single day. We refer many volunteers to your organization’s but we needed this funding to be able to keep doing what we’re doing.”
- R-3 Restorations, doing business as Reset Ministries: $100,000.
“We fought our way through the pandemic because we serve those who are just completing an addiction treatment program or who have been incarcerated,” said Erich Switzer, executive director of Reset Ministries. “They need a place to live and be supported, regardless of what else is happening in the world. The fund helped support our operating costs which are ever increasing, it paid for additional supplies necessary to keep our homes safe and it helped us open the doors to another home due to the increased demand for our services.”
- WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium: $100,000.
“This funding was vital to continue WAVE’s mission to excite, engage and educate about the wonders of aquatic life and the importance of conservation,” said WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium Executive Director Tricia Watts. “WAVE is very grateful to the commonwealth for the support as we rebuilt after the global pandemic.”
- Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory: $100,000.
“This grant will help fund the Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory Undergraduate Research Education Program as well as our cancer research projects,” said Dr. Julia Carter, president of Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory.
“The World Affairs Council of Cincinnati Northern Kentucky has been connecting the world to our region for 100 years,” said Executive Director Melissa McDonald. “As Governor Beshear mentioned, we are in another war in the world and the mission of World Affairs Council was to prevent that, and it was to really gather us in dialogue to welcome everyone.”
- Highland United Methodist Church: $80,078.77.
- Alexandria United Methodist Church: $71,268.24.
- Kentucky Symphony Orchestra: $49,604.
“The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra firmly believes that music is a gift and it should be shared with everyone,” said Kentucky Symphony Orchestra CFO Angela Williams. “That’s my mission is to enrich, educate and entertain all systems of Greater Cincinnati.”
- Pones: $45,557.57.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness Northern Kentucky: $26,550.
- Carpenter Art Enamel Foundation: $7,423.
“The newly renamed Carpenter Enamel Center has been in operation in Bellevue’s Industrial Park since 2003,” said Joanna Maehren, manager of Thompson Enamel. “Our board, led by Bellevue’s Mayor Charlie Cleves, is focused on creating additional workshop programs in enameling, adding to the 1,100 piece enameled art collection, having regular museum hours and raising funds for the continuity of the center. This grant from Kentucky is being used toward that end.”