ONEOHIO RECOVERY FOUNDATION AWARDS $1.1 MILLION FOR 7 LOCAL PROJECTS TO ADVANCE PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY IN REGION 10

COLUMBUS, OH – Seven projects focused on saving lives, preventing substance use disorder, expanding access to treatment, supporting recovery and strengthening community resilience in Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs and Vinton counties have been awarded a combined $1.1 million through the OneOhio Recovery Foundation's Regional Grant Cycle 2. The seven awards support locally driven, evidence-informed work that responds to the local impacts of substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions, putting opioid settlement dollars to work where they can make a meaningful difference. 

Ohio's opioid settlement dollars are most powerful when they reach the organizations and communities closest to the work of prevention, treatment and recovery, said Alisha Nelson, Executive Director of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation. 

“A steady job can restore far more than income; it can bring routine, confidence and a sense of possibility back into someone’s life,” Nelson said. “That practical focus stands out here. Workforce training and social enterprise are paired with housing, care coordination and help for grandparents raising children, giving people several ways to build stability.” 

Local communities know their own needs, and these new awards reflect the priorities identified by local partners across Region 10, said Lenny Eliason, OneOhio Region 10 Board Chair. 

“What does recovery support look like in southeastern Ohio? It may be a community health worker helping a shelter resident find care, a grandparent keeping a child connected to school, or a training program opening the door to steady employment,” Eliason said. “These investments are practical, local and built around the obstacles that residents face every day.” 

In total, Regional Grant Cycle 2 makes up to $45.7 million available across the state. Project funding directly serves people with substance use disorder, including those with co-occurring mental health conditions, as well as family members affected by substance use disorder, according to purposes approved by the OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding. 

Region 10 Grant Awards 

Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc.: $63,800 for Pathways for Kinship Kids, to help grandparents raising grandchildren affected by parental substance use disorder to cover school supplies, academic fees and extracurricular activities that support stability and resilience. 

Connexion West: $212,480 to create a culinary job-training program through a food truck and commissary kitchen, helping participants earn ServSafe certifications, gain work experience and move into sustainable employment. 

Field of Hope Community Campus: $200,000 for Grow the FOH Business Enterprise Zone, which will provide startup materials and staff support to launch a print shop and salon alongside its existing café. 

Hocking-Athens Perry Community Action: $151,269 for Sunset Shelter Project: Community Health Worker, which will add a certified community health worker to connect shelter residents with recovery care, community resources and services addressing social determinants of health. 

Integrated Services for Behavioral Health: $151,360 for Vocational Rehabilitation: Employment Counseling and Support for Sustainable Recovery, which will provide employment counseling and support to help people affected by substance use disorder secure and sustain work. 

John Clem Recovery House: $35,000 for Building Stability: Briggs House Improvements for Long-Term Recovery, which will improve transitional housing for unhoused men in Athens County recovering from substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. 

Warriors 4 Christ Recovery Ministries: $281,250 for Project Hope Workforce, which will provide vocational skills and workplace training through a social-enterprise model designed to improve employment readiness and support long-term program sustainability. 

Together, these awards will support kinship families, improve transitional housing, connect shelter residents to care, and expand job training, employment counseling and social-enterprise opportunities throughout southeastern Ohio. 

All grant awards were approved by the OneOhio Board of Directors following a robust, multi-step process designed to ensure local input, integrity, accountability and alignment with OneOhio's approved purposes. The Foundation is working with approved organizations to complete the grant agreement process and move funding into communities across Ohio. Grants are contingent on a fully executed grant agreement. 

For Regional Grant Cycle 2, applicants first submitted Funding Inquiries through the OneOhio Grant Portal. Eligible inquiries were reviewed by Regional Grant Review Committees, and selected applicants were invited to submit Technical Applications. Where applicable, submissions were reviewed by the OneOhio Expert Panel to ensure alignment with evidence and the OneOhio MOU. Successful applications were then reviewed by Foundation staff and the Grant Oversight Committee, with final funding decisions made by the Board of Directors. 

Regional Grant Cycle 2 builds on the Foundation's inaugural grant cycle, which awarded more than $45 million to 245 projects statewide. That first round supported a broad mix of strategies, including youth prevention initiatives, school-based mental health supports, recovery housing, treatment expansion, post-overdose outreach, peer support, supports for children and families affected by substance use disorder, and workforce development for the behavioral health field. 

Grant recipients must submit biannual programmatic and financial reports, and the Foundation may request supplemental information or conduct site visits or virtual meetings as needed. These requirements reflect the Foundation's commitment to ensuring that every dollar is used responsibly and produces measurable and lasting impact. 

A complete list of approved grant recipients can be found at OneOhioFoundation.com/GrantAwards. Additional awards may be announced as projects complete the review and approval process. Organizations interested in future funding opportunities should visit OneOhioFoundation.com/Grants and sign up for updates from the Foundation. 

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