ASHLAND, Ky., August 16, 2019 – Kentucky Power on Friday awarded a $30,000 American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation grant to the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence to aid women in eastern Kentucky.
The grant will fund the organization’s Economic Empowerment Program. The program’s goal is to support and empower domestic violence survivors, so they can establish financial stability and safety. Statistics show one in three women and one in four men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In Kentucky, 1 in 9 women has been a victim of rape.
“Domestic violence is complex and not always easy to recognize but we know it exists in our communities,” said Kentucky Power President Brett Mattison. “This grant will give those in need a helping hand to move forward with their lives when they are at their most vulnerable.”
Up to 3,200 domestic violence survivors in eastern Kentucky will receive assistance with access to financial education, emergency funds and matched savings accounts. The coalition provides services through Safe Harbor (Ashland and four surrounding counties); LKLP Safe House (Hazard, Whitesburg and eight counties); Cumberland Valley DV Services (Pikeville, Paintsville and five counties); and Turning Point DV Services (Prestonsburg and five surrounding counties). The services are free to all survivors of domestic violence without regard to race, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation or handicap. Help is available with a 24-Hour Crisis Line 1-800-926-2150.
“The Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence is excited to partner with and receive financial support from the AEP Foundation and Kentucky Power for our Economic Empowerment project,” said Andrea Miller, director of client service for KCADV. “This funding will allow us to increase capacity in three of our eastern Kentucky member programs to work more closely with and reach more survivors in this region.”
The grant marks the 78th Act of Appreciation by Kentucky Power in 2019. In January, Kentucky Power pledged to complete 100 Acts of Appreciation in 2019 in communities it serves throughout eastern Kentucky. The committment is one way the company and its employees is expressing their thanks to customers in celebration of Kentucky Power’s 100th anniversary this year.
The American Electric Power Foundation is funded by American Electric Power and its utility operating companies, including Kentucky Power. The Foundation focuses on improving lives through education in science, technology, engineering, math and the environment and by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing and the elimination of hunger. Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, Kentucky, provides service to approximately 167,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties. Kentucky Power is a unit of the AEP system, one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S. with nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states.
