LEXINGTON, Ky. — Governor Andy Beshear announced a public health grant of $4.19 million to expand the AmeriCorps presence in Kentucky, a partnership between AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The funding will support 275 AmeriCorps members working across the state to meet public health needs of local communities and help rebuild the public health sector.

The Kentucky Health Departments Association and Family Scholar House have received the funding. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which administers the program through Serve Kentucky, will oversee the initiative with coordination support from the state's volunteerism agency.

The Kentucky Health Departments Association will leverage 75 AmeriCorps members who will serve as community health workers in local health departments across Kentucky. These members will work in core public health programs, including Health Access Nurturing Development Services, Women, Infant and Children programs and Harm Reduction initiatives. Family Scholar House will place 200 AmeriCorps members to provide health care support to seniors and disabled individuals in health care facilities statewide.

"Kentuckians deserve access to health care – a basic human right – and this funding will support the recruitment, training and development of a new generation of public health leaders," Beshear said in a statement.

Public Health AmeriCorps members serve in public health and clinical settings where they provide education, strengthen access, and expand capacity related to healthcare and social services. The program aims to address public health needs of local communities by providing support in state and local public health settings while creating pathways to public health-related careers.

The grant is supported by a five-year, $400 million investment from the American Rescue Plan Act. Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said the state expects more than 200 AmeriCorps members to pursue continued engagement in the public health sector after completing their year of service.