The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee and Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced Monday that 34 community based organizations across the state have been awarded a total of nearly $14 million to help address the opioid epidemic.

A Richmond nonprofit in which received more than $595,000 from the grant leaders, say the money will make a big difference in the community.

Incredibly meaningful to us, Andy and I, our board of directors, the city of Richmond, our community, Madison County, this is huge.

Madison County needs this greatly.

Anybody who knows anything about the epidemic in Madison County knows that it's getting worse.

And we're ready to make a change.

So we know these funds will make a big difference in our community.

And Rich is a social enterprise nonprofit that lives in downtown, in the in the epicenter of Richmond.

And our goal with enrich is not only to lower recidivism and fatal opioid overdose deaths in our community, but also to offer people in long term recovery meaningful employment and the resources they need to get back on their feet forward.

The grass roots is vitally important, I think, because it's somebody that knows their community the best, the needs of their community, best and its best.

And it's not somebody that just comes up and says, you know, they think this would be the best thing.

It's statistic driven.

It's from people like me, people like me and people like our board that come in.

They see the need, they quantify the need, and then they present the need.

And that's where it gets married up with this grant.

And the the word money is great today.

Kentucky has been in the lead of the entire country when it comes to having a grant based opioid fund distribution system that has been created, utilized and has had money hit the bank accounts of folks who are working in the trenches.

I think that we are either the first and no later than the second state in the United States to get this done.

So it's really important to us that it's not just some big corporation coming in asking for money to pad their budget.

100% of these funds will go right to the trenches.

In total, Hubbard said, the commission has distributed funds for prevention, treatment and recovery services to $32 million for this calendar year.

Also, an opioid support symposium is on the way.

Next week, we'll tell you more about that.

Ahead on Kentucky Edition.