More than $1 million in federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act is making its way to southcentral Kentucky to help with efforts to recover from the economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.

Community Action Kentucky said last week that more than $16.8 million in additional Community Services Block Grant funding has been allocated to the state to support economic recovery programs.

The money will be divided proportionately to each of the 23 Community Action agencies across Kentucky, and Bowling Green-based Community Action of Southern Kentucky will receive $1.08 million to disperse throughout the 10 counties it serves.

CSBG funding is designed to give Community Action agencies the ability to provide a wide range of support in the areas of employment, education, transportation, food security, housing and more.

Don Butler, interim executive director of the local Community Action agency, said there is no formula for dispersing this latest emergency funding.

“Often the total population and percentage of poverty drives the application numbers, but equally as often the availability of other resources in a respective county tends to drive the numbers,” Butler said.

Butler said people needing assistance will need to get in touch with the CSBG office in their county to apply for help with such things as rent, food, education and transportation.

He said this emergency funding may include some other items, including payments for mental health care and treatment for substance abuse.

“When people start coming out of this trauma, many will be dealing with family mental health issues,” Butler said. “And we’ve added substance abuse treatment services.”

This additional funding comes at a time when it is desperately needed by many families, according to Roger McCann, executive director of Community Action Kentucky.

“This additional CSBG funding enables the Community Action agencies to help more Kentuckians who are facing economic adversity,” McCann said in a news release. “We’re proud to coordinate these efforts with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and grateful for national and state leaders who have worked to make it possible.”

The additional CSBG funding comes on the heels of the launch of an added spring enrollment period for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The program was supported with additional funding through the CARES Act to help struggling families pay home energy costs.

More information about Community Action Kentucky, its members and available COVID-19-related programs and services can be found at the Community Action Kentucky website at www.CAPKY.org.

Contact information for the CSBG offices in each southcentral Kentucky county can be found on the casoky.org website.

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.