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Mountain Association

Building a New Economy, Together.

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    Building a new economy, together.

Stories of Appalachia

Together, we can change the narrative.

The images of Appalachia most often seen by national audiences are rooted in well-established stereotypes.

The Mountain Association and many of our partners have worked for decades to amplify and tell more truthful and more positive stories about Appalachia that are layered and complex. We work with local and national media to tell these stories, and regularly share pieces through our newsletter, social media outlets and community networks. We also engage in research and advocacy for policy change, pulling together and distilling information to help Eastern Kentuckians better understand how their everyday lives could be impacted by decisions at the state and federal level.

On this page, you will find stories about the Mountain Association’s clients and about ordinary Eastern Kentuckians doing extraordinary things to transform their communities with Appalachian youth and business owners leading the way. These pieces serve as a window into a more complex, and therefore more accurate, picture of Eastern Kentucky.

To learn more about this work, please contact Ariel Fugate, Communications Manager, at ariel@mtassociation.org.

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Business Support

Estate and Disaster Planning for Small Businesses 

Running a small business comes with daily challenges, but few owners stop to think about what would ... Read This Post

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Communities

Eastern Kentucky communities enact vacancy ordinances

Across Eastern Kentucky an impactful movement is gaining momentum: the fight against downtown ... Read This Post

mountains nature

Energy

Women’s Recovery Center in Eastern Kentucky Powered by Solar

This story was produced by Resource Rural in partnership with Mountain Association. “No matter ... Read This Post

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Energy Lending

Cox Foods Keeps Its Mission for Eastern Kentucky Simple

Special thanks to author Steve McClain, Kentucky Grocery & Convenience Store Association, for ... Read This Post

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You are here: Home / Stories

Stories

mountains nature

Energy

Women’s Recovery Center in Eastern Kentucky Powered by Solar

This story was produced by Resource Rural in partnership with Mountain Association. “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does ... Read This Post

Pikeville fresh market tate cox kentucky Copy

EnergyLending

Cox Foods Keeps Its Mission for Eastern Kentucky Simple

Special thanks to author Steve McClain, Kentucky Grocery & Convenience Store Association, for this story! Since Cox Foods started serving the ... Read This Post

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Energy

Kentucky Utilities Proposes to Raise Rates: What You Need to Know

A few months ago, Kentucky Utilities (alongside its sister company Louisville Gas & Electric) filed a request for another rate increase with the ... Read This Post


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Energy

Solar Power Boosts Savings and Affordable Housing Stock

This story was produced by Resource Rural in partnership with Mountain Association. As the executive director of a nonprofit affordable ... Read This Post

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EnergyLending

Woodies Restorations: How a Father’s Love Launched a Lake Cumberland Boat Business

For nearly three decades, Paul Cundiff has been building a business that started with his daughter’s dream of owning a boat. That wish led to the ... Read This Post

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EnergyLending

Firefly Hills: A New Kind of RV Park in the Red River Gorge

Tucked in the mountains near the Red River Gorge, Firefly Hills isn’t your typical RV Park. It’s a magical spot where whimsical and practical come ... Read This Post


martin county high school energy Savings Solar kentucky

Energy

KY School District Offsets Rising Electricity Costs with Solar Installation

This story was produced by Resource Rural in partnership with Mountain Association. Electricity is getting more expensive in Inez, a rural city ... Read This Post

houses eastern kentucky energy bills efficiency appalachia 1

Energy

A Rural KY Nonprofit is Making Affordable Housing Even More Affordable with Solar

This story was produced by Resource Rural in partnership with Mountain Association. Solar energy wasn’t exactly on Seth Long’s radar, until he ... Read This Post

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Energy

Red River Gorge Celebrates Solar Installation: Mountain Association’s 100th Project

Bigfoot has traded in his legendary footprints for a carbon footprint of exactly zero. Earlier this month, on a sunny September day, the Powell ... Read This Post


martin county health dept

Energy

Martin County Health Department Uses Energy Savings to Expand Programming

This story was produced by Resource Rural in partnership with Mountain Association. After Eric Mills became the director of public health for ... Read This Post

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Business Support

Estate and Disaster Planning for Small Businesses 

Running a small business comes with daily challenges, but few owners stop to think about what would happen if they were no longer able to run their ... Read This Post

Neon first church

EnergyLending

Saving Grace and Energy in Neon, Kentucky

In the heart of Eastern Kentucky’s coalfields, a small church in Fleming-Neon has a long history of finding a way, even in hard ... Read This Post


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Established in 1976. Prior to 2020, we were known as the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED).

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BEREA
(859) 986-2373
433 Chestnut Street
Berea, KY 40403

Meetings by appointment only

info@mtassociation.org

We are happy to make any accommodation
to better serve you. We have an on-staff
Spanish interpreter, and provide
additional free language/
interpretation services as needed.

If hearing or speech impaired,
please dial 7-1-1 for relay
services prior to calling.

HAZARD
(606) 439-0170
420 Main St
Hazard, KY 41701

PRESTONSBURG
(606) 264-5910
268 E Friend St, Ste 101
Prestonsburg, KY 41653

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