Kentucky's second largest city is getting half a million dollars from the governors.

Everybody counts.

Grant The money is going to one Lexington's building Bridges to Opportunity program.

One Lexington will use the funds to give $10,000 scholarships to 18 students of color next year.

Scholarships will also be offered to any rising senior whose life has been affected by gun violence.

And one Lexington plans to set aside $150,000 to help with mental health and trauma services and Fayette County Public Schools.

The program's director says the grant will help disrupt gun violence in the city over the long term.

The most underserved communities in Lexington are already in deficit.

Those communities that are dealing with gun violence on a regular basis are already our most underserved populations.

Right?

And so services and programs are great because they even up that deficit, or at least they do the work of evening up those deficits.

But if we are to have a comprehensive strategy to address and gun violence across our city, it cannot just be full of programs and reactionary services.

At some point, we have to transition from a continuum of care into a movement that creates more access to opportunity.

One Lexington was created in 2017 as a part of the city's efforts to address a rise in violent crime among ages 13 through 29.