Federal & State Dollars Support Merryman House

The Purchase Area Development District (PADD) has received a 2017 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation. PADD played an administrative role in the McCracken County Fiscal Court’s effort bring federal and state dollars supporting the Merryman House expansion. 
 
The Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center began with a group of concerned women who were willing to open their homes to those affected by domestic violence. They answered their phones in the middle of the night, opened their doors to those in need of shelter, and opened their hearts to those who needed someone to see the reality of the trauma they faced. Out of their openness, a dark issue which remained largely closed to the public, began to be openly addressed. Today, the Merryman House has become a comprehensive advocacy and support center that is devoted to addressing the comprehensive needs of survivors.
 
The shelter has reached its capacity and needs additional beds. With the assistance of the McCracken County Fiscal Court, Merryhouse House has received $500,000 from the Kentucky Department for Local Government and $250,000 from the Delta Regional Authority. These funds were used to help center to collaborate with Mountain Care Comprehensive Center to purchase a 26-acre campus that will provide both domestic abuse services and substance abuse services.
 
For Merryman House, the campus will provide a 36-bed emergency shelter, a central administration and counseling center, an outreach center, and a dining hall with commercial kitchen. This partnership offers a fresh collaborative approach in working with survivors of domestic abuse by adding resources and services in areas like substance abuse and mental health.
 
The total cost of the project is $2,185,332. The Kentucky Department for Local Government awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant and the Delta Regional Authority awarded a $250,000 grant from their States' Economic Development Assistance Program. The balance of funds were met by Mountain Care Comprehensive Center and a capital campaign conducted by the Merryman House.
 
NADO is a Washington, DC-based association. It promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies.  The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.PADD Recognized for Work with McCracken County Fiscal Court on Merryman House Expansion Project