Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Thursday that nearly $34 million was awarded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission to more than 100 Kentucky organizations to combat the drug epidemic throughout the Commonwealth.
General Coleman announced the awards at Lexington’s Woodhill Community Center. He was joined by Executive Director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Chris Evans, Lexington Leadership Foundation CEO Christian Postel, Youth Empowerment Director Marcus Patrick, and Jared Sloan of the Recovery through Fatherhood Initiative. Twenty other grant recipients from across the region also attended the event.
The Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission approved grant applications in three categories: Treatment/Recovery, Prevention and—for the first time—Research and Innovation. General Coleman urged the Commission to create the new research-focused grant opportunity to keep Kentucky on the cutting-edge of the fight against addiction. The Commission awarded more than $3.6 million in six grants for Research and Innovation.
Since its creation by the General Assembly in 2021, the Commission has invested more than $100 million in Kentucky communities. This announcement represents the largest single disbursement to date.
“I’m deeply grateful we have the opportunity to turn the pain of the drug crisis into progress. We owe it to every family affected to use these resources responsibility. By investing in these outstanding organizations across Kentucky, we can build a future where fewer lives are lost and more people find a path to healing,” said Attorney General Coleman.
“Today’s announcement confirms that organizations across the Commonwealth are prepared to deliver meaningful results for those battling the opioid crisis. By partnering with over 100 organizations, the Commission and the Attorney General are fulfilling their commitment to provide life-changing support and drive real progress in our communities,” said Opioid Abatement Commission Director Evans.
Learn more about the Commission, its work, and its members here.
The Lexington Leadership Foundation was awarded $231,526 to provide continued funding for their Fatherhood Initiative. The program works to reunite children with fathers who have addiction issues or have been incarcerated in Fayette and Jessamine counties. The Foundation also received $222,654 to expand their Youth Empowerment Program. The program provides mentoring and tutoring as well as sports and theater programming and off-site activities to youth in Fayette, Jessamine, and Scott counties.
"We are honored to steward the resources KYOAAC has entrusted to Lexington Leadership Foundation in both Prevention through Youth Empowerment, led by Marcus Patrick, and Treatment and Recovery through Fatherhood Initiative, led by Jared Sloan. Marcus and Jared are extraordinary leaders, and this investment reflects the quality and impact of their work. I want folks to understand just how much this matters: prevention dollars are redemption dollars, and recovery dollars are restoration dollars,” said Christian Postel, CEO of The Lexington Leadership Foundation. “KYOAAC’s support is a direct investment in marginalized families, and our entire team is deeply grateful. We are especially thankful to Attorney General Coleman, Chris Evans, Jesse Halladay, and the full commission for their trust and partnership.”
According to state law, the Commission is responsible for distributing the Commonwealth’s share of the $1 billion from settlements with the corporations behind the deadly drug crisis. The other half of the recovered funds are distributed among the Commonwealth’s cities and counties according to a pre-determined formula.
A list of the organizations that received grant funding from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, along with the counties they serve is available here.
