Breathing New Life

BY KACIE RENFRO

You are the company you keep” is an adage that rings true when it comes to Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) and the organizational partners it is blessed to know and support in the region. Shaping Our Appalachia Region, better known as SOAR, is one such organization.

Historically, coal has been the main industry and economic driver for Eastern Kentucky. But the need for coal has decreased, mines and plants have closed, and those whose livelihoods depended on the industry are having a hard time finding work and making ends meet.

To help meet the need for work, SOAR has dedicated itself to helping innovative industries breathe new life into the region. “SOAR was founded about 10 years ago when the [coal] industry bottomed out, people realized it wasn’t coming back, and there was a collective ‘What’s next?’ that people asked,” said Colby Hall, SOAR's executive director. SOAR’s answer to that question includes greater access to the digital workspace and the economic opportunities that come with that access.

Broadband, which had been lacking in the region, is an integral part of SOAR’s blueprint for the future of Appalachia. “Broadband is a part of infrastructure that is just as important as water and electricity in a lot of ways,” Hall pointed out. SOAR supports local internet providers, like telephone cooperatives, and brings them together with city or county government and electrics to have the pivotal conversation of how partnerships might help them get internet to more areas faster and at an affordable cost.

SOAR’s programmatic impact in Eastern Kentucky is vast. Their Digital Equity Affordable Connectivity Program helps households physically connect to the internet. Operating in partnership with the Federal Communications Commission, SOAR provides a $30 a month subsidy, reducing the cost of internet for participants. Through Digital Equity, they also provide internet-enabled devices, such as laptops for people working remotely, and offer basic digital skills training that covers topics like computer basics and how to navigate the internet.

“SOAR Innovation is a program that works with early-stage founders and entrepreneurs living in the region. They offer services including basic website builds and search engine optimization elements to help people get on their own two feet and launch,” Hall said. “We then connect these people to potential funders and other resources across the state. Our team has provided services to 200 start-ups in Eastern Kentucky, leveraged over $3 million in private investments, and aided in the creation of 150 jobs from new entities and expansion.” n

To learn more about this organization, visit soar-ky.org.