Hello everyone

My name is Madison Mooney and I work for a non-profit organization known as LiKEN Knowledge (Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network) here in Martin County located in Eastern Kentucky. The current administration’s pause on federal funds is impacting our  ability to assist landowners to make the most of their land. One of our core projects, called “Community Wealth through Healthy Rivers and Forests” is funded by the U.S. Forest Service (Dept of Agriculture) through the Congressionally supported, bi-partisan Inflation Reduction Act. We work and serve 25 counties in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. The abrupt pause on these funds - including on payment for work already completed but not yet reimbursed back into 2024 - has created a crisis for my new colleagues who are working hard to improve their communities. Our organization is working hard to gather information, reach out for other organizational support, and collaborate with other affected nonprofits to press the issue through the courts and other governmental systems in hopes of being able to reinstate their employment and resume this important work.

My role at LiKEN Knowledge is Community Care Coordinator, which makes me an important source of their support. This fundraising campaign (that I am orchestrating myself) is to help support my colleagues who are suddenly without the funding promised and contracted by the federal government. I consider these colleagues to be family.  If you have it within your heart and within your wallet to help support them during these uncertain times, it would mean the absolute world to not just me, but to all of my colleagues who have been impacted by these forced furloughs. All funds donated will be equally distributed to the four Community Engagement Coordinators who have been impacted. 

LiKEN Knowledge is a community based organization to help build towards strong future livelihoods with the community members’ dreams, visions, and ambitions but now that these employees are forced to be on furlough they will not be able to bring these dreams, goals, ambitions, and future economic development in the communities that they were working and serving in. To be clear, LiKEN Knowledge as an organization is not shutting down by any means, but important staff members at the heart of LiKEN’s work - the community engagement coordinators who live and work in their home communities - are being furloughed. 

All funds raised will be split between Tina Johnson, Randal Caudill, Jada Mckenzie and Danielle Kirk 

To learn more about LiKEN Knowledge and our Community Engagement Coordinators refer to our website,  https://www.likenknowledge.org/