NEWS RELEASE – September 17, 2025
ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities Donates $15,000 to Big Creek Missions for Emergency Generator Project
Hyden, KY — The ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities is proud to announce a $15,000 donation to Big Creek Missions, a nonprofit organization serving families across Leslie, Clay, and Perry Counties. The funding will cover the installation of a backup generator at Big Creek Mission’s main facility, ensuring uninterrupted services for volunteers and the community during power outages and emergencies.
Big Creek Missions, founded in 2003, has grown from a one-week mission trip into a year-round ministry that welcomes nearly 3,000 volunteers annually. With programs that include home repairs, children’s services, and large-scale feeding initiatives, Big Creek Missions plays a vital role in supporting families across Eastern Kentucky. The addition of a backup generator will not only protect daily operations but also allow the facility, equipped with nearly 200 beds, showers, and a large kitchen, to serve as a fully functioning emergency shelter during disasters.
“Big Creek Missions has become a beacon of hope, compassion, and resilience in Leslie County and beyond,” said Angela Bailey, Executive Director of the ARH Foundation for Healthier Communities. “We are honored to support their efforts to care for community members. This generator will ensure that no matter the circumstances, families in need can count on them for food, shelter, and hope.”
“This partnership shows how local organizations can work together to make our communities stronger,” added Mallie S. Napier-Noble, Community CEO at Mary Breckinridge ARH Hospital. “Big Creek Missions is deeply connected to the people of our region, and by supporting this project we are helping ensure that families will always have a safe place to turn, especially in times of crisis.”
For Big Creek Missions Director Kevin Rogers, the gift represents more than just equipment, it’s a promise to the community. “This generator will allow us to continue our ministries without interruption and provide critical shelter during times of crisis,” Rogers said. “We’re grateful for the ARH Foundation and their commitment to strengthening the resilience of our region.”
The project will directly benefit the thousands of volunteers who come to serve annually, as well as the emergency shelter guests.
The ARH Foundation is dedicated to furthering healthcare, education, and community involvement for the communities served by Appalachian Regional Healthcare. Guided by a mission to strengthen communities and foster resilience, the ARH Foundation partners with organizations like Big Creek Missions to ensure that help is there for those who need it most.
“We’re incredibly proud that 100% of every dollar donated to the ARH Foundation goes back into our communities to support those who need it most,” said Angela Bailey. “It is only because of our generous donors that we are able to partner with organizations like Big Creek Missions, who make a difference in our communities every day.”
To support initiatives like this, visit www.ARH.org/donate.
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies and medical spas. ARH employs approximately 6,700 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $474 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 1,300 providers on staff across its multi-state system. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.