LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Office of Mayor Linda Gorton recently announced that the Urban County Council authorized $4.795 million in grant funds for 37 social services agencies in the Lexington area as part of a vote to approve a final city budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Through these grants, we help our partner agencies help residents who are most in need,” Mayor Linda Gorton said.
The "Extended Social Resource Grants," according to officials, will provide support for the following five priority areas:
- Community Wellness & Safety: $990,000;
- Childhood & Youth Development: $660,000;
- Food Insecurity & Nutritional Access: $633,520;
- A new priority of Mental Health: $633,500; and
- Emergency Shelter: $1.9 million.
“I am happy we have added the additional category of mental health, which can directly affect the positive outcomes for many in our community,” said Mayor Linda Gorton.
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Upon council approval, the grants will be established in the 2025 fiscal year and again in 2026 and are focused on supporting programs and services for the following:
- Mental health;
- Substance use recovery and treatment;
- Violence prevention;
- Hunger;
- Access to affordable and nutritious food;
- Early learning opportunities;
- Positive youth development;
- Violence intervention; and
- Low-barrier shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
“As the name suggests, Extended Social Resource grants allow the City to fund agencies that provide services that are beyond our capacity and reach,” Allen-Bryant said. “This new Mental Health priority area will allow for innovative programs that utilize best practices and evidence-based models to address the issue of mental health.”
Officials with Gorton's office added that teams from the Department of Social Services, Homelessness Prevention and Intervention, and Procurement reviewed 67 proposals requesting a total of $8.295 million in order to establish who will receive grant funds.
