Why?

Our "why?" is because we love rural America, particularly our little corner of rural western Kentucky.  We love the places and we love the people.  We love the way of life.  Rural communities like ours all over America are facing new, very fundamental challenges in the 21st century, and we are here to help make sure that Hopkins County and the surrounding region can meet those challenges and build a healthier, happier more prosperous future for all of our people.

Time moves on and the world changes.  These simple facts have been true since the beginning of time and they are just as true today. Many of those changes over the past century have left rural communities facing health-related, social and economic issues that threaten their vitality, if not their very survival.

Since about 1920, people have been migrating from rural areas to the cities in search of better opportunities and different lifestyles.  This migration has left many rural communities with stagnant or declining populations who are growing older, poorer and sicker over time as the young people move away.   This shift in the characteristics of the rural population has impacted not only the overall health and quality of life of the people, but also the economic vitality of the communities.  Many rural communities have also tended to be dependent on a single primary industry or a single employer.  When global economic changes cause that industry or employer to shut down, it can be devastating for small communities.  Older, less healthy workforces are less productive.  They also tend to have less updated skill sets, as many of the younger, more educated people leave.  The less productive the workforce, the less money there is in the community and the less tax revenue there is to maintain and expand infrastructure.  These factors make many rural communities less attractive for potential employers who are looking for places to establish new businesses.  A lack of new and better employment options leads back to less productivity, and the vicious cycle continues.

But it doesn't have to be that way!  As the world changes, we all have to adapt, as individuals and as communities, in order to survive.  We are headquartered in Hopkins County, and, thanks to our history as a prosperous coal mining community, we are fortunate in that we have more resources than most other communities of our size.  We can build on that to include our surrounding region because we we survive and thrive as a region, or not at all. We already have much of what we need to build a better, healthier, happier, more prosperous future for ourselves and our children.  We are here to help make that happen.