LOUISVILLE – Today, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-03) visited the site of YouthBuild Louisville’s Smoketown Laundry & Community Center to announce two federal awards to the local organization—totaling $2.1 million—to complete the second phase of the Smoketown community center expansion project and help continue the organization’s core programming for two more years.

Yarmuth secured a $600,000 investment through the House Appropriations Committee’s Community Project Funding program to support the Smoketown Laundry & Community Center, one of the 10 local projects funded through Yarmuth’s requests. The Smoketown project will transform an unused, vacant property at the corner of Breckenridge and Hancock into a laundromat and multi-functional community space that will help local residents in efforts to improve health equity, including a focus on economic wellbeing, social support, and community safety.

The second investment of $1.5 million was awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor as part of the FY2022 funding bill Yarmuth supported in Congress. It will be used to continue educational programming, vocational training, and social services to the organization’s students aged 18-24.

“For more than two decades, YouthBuild Louisville has helped countless young people from across our community build a stronger future, and I’m thrilled to deliver this much-needed funding to not only continue their important work but also expand services in the Smoketown neighborhood,” said Yarmuth. “This funding will help break the cycle of poverty in the heart of our city, giving residents a space to thrive and the support needed to chart a path to success. I’m so proud to have led the fight for this investment that will benefit so many young Louisvillians and also support the transformation of this historic neighborhood.”

Yarmuth was joined at the event by Lynn Rippy, YouthBuild Louisville’s President and CEO, who celebrated the investments and thanked Yarmuth for his leadership in securing the funding.

“The federal support we are announcing today, shepherded by Congressman Yarmuth, allows us to continue to serve young people ready to move forward in their careers and in their life,” said Rippy. “It also allows us to continue revitalization efforts in the Smoketown neighborhood, which is exciting to us to help fulfill the needs of this vibrant community.”

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