Appalachian Center For Hope Inc.

Appalachian Center For Hope Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Marion, Virginia, serves as a community health advocacy group representing organizations and individuals from the Mount Rogers Health District. The organization originated from community meetings in 2017 during a needs assessment conducted following the acquisition of Smyth County Community Hospital by Ballad Health, and subsequently obtained 501(c)(3) status to formalize its mission. Appalachian Center For Hope Inc. receives federal grant funding to support regional health initiatives, with a particular focus on addressing substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services across rural southwestern Virginia.

The organization's federal grant work encompasses three primary initiatives totaling approximately $345,835 in funding. Most recently, the organization received a $200,000 Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under CFDA 93.912, awarded July 1, 2025, to fund planning and development of a regional healthcare network focused on expanding access to substance use disorder treatment and recovery services in the Mount Rogers Health District. The grant supports three key objectives: cultivating interagency collaboration among regional stakeholders, completing a strategic analysis of SUD prevention and treatment needs, and developing a sustainability plan for integrating residential and outpatient services through June 30, 2026. Additionally, the organization received a $145,835 Project Grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission under the Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002) awarded October 1, 2025, supporting economic development, infrastructure, and community capacity building initiatives across the 13-state Appalachian region. The organization also secured Community Project Funding through congressionally directed spending for construction purposes, awarded September 30, 2023, to support renovation planning of a state-owned facility in Smyth County intended for residential treatment and supportive services for individuals with substance use disorder, with completion targeted for September 29, 2026.