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County-funded Goshen Valley programs say CDBG, ARPA grants helped expand services to thousands
Summary
Goshen Valley leaders told the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 7 that Community Development Block Grant money and ARPA funds helped renovate housing and open a Family Resource Center that has delivered counseling and services to thousands, and county commissioners praised the nonprofit’s results while asking few follow-up questions.
Zach Blend, executive with Goshen Valley, told the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 7 that county Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and an ARPA grant have funded renovations and program expansion at Goshen Valley facilities, including a Family Wellness Center and the Goshen Family Resource Center.
Blend said Cherokee County has invested about $1.6 million in Goshen Valley since 2019. He described specific projects: roughly $300,000 in 2019 for the Goshen Family Wellness Center, about $78,000 in 2021 to renovate an administrative building, roughly $200,000 across 2022–23 for renovations of four larger group homes, and additional CDBG-funded renovations of Hope House and Sims Cottage in 2025.
The presentation laid out program outcomes the agency reported since 2019. Blend said the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch has served “2 93 boys” (transcript wording) and that 125 of those youth discharged to permanent family settings, 21 discharged to independence, 17 graduated from high school, and 11 experienced adoption. He also said facility audit scores improved to 100% after the investments. Blend noted the Family Resource Center, partially funded by a 2023 ARPA award, hosts about 20 clinicians and has provided more than 55,000 services in an 18‑month period, serving some 5,300 individuals (over half from Cherokee County).
Commissioners and staff framed the county contribution as grant funding the county qualifies for and controls through program rules. The chair praised Goshen Valley’s work and thanked staff who manage the CDBG program. County staff named in the presentation included Chris Thomas, chief of staff, and county CDBG program staff Susan Filiberto and Laura Coffey.
This item was presented to the board for information during a work session; no formal county action was recorded in the transcript excerpt. Commissioners discussed the programs in congratulatory terms and did not propose changes to the county’s grant use at the time of the presentation.
Why it matters: County-administered federal and ARPA funds directed to a local nonprofit have supported renovations and an expanded Family Resource Center that the agency says has delivered thousands of services and measurable facility‑compliance improvements. The presentation provides an overview of how the county’s designated grant dollars were allocated and the outcomes the nonprofit reports.
Sources and attributions: Statements in this article are taken from remarks by Zach Blend and from the board’s discussion in the Oct. 7 work session. The presentation and the specific dollar amounts cited came from the speaker’s remarks.
