Local nonprofit Meant to Be thanks Hopkinsville City Council for $62,000 in support

Ladessa Lewis, cofounder and executive director of Meant to Be, told the Hopkinsville City Council that the grassroots nonprofit has received more than $62,000 in city support over the past two years and that the funds helped young men gain hands-on workforce training.

"For a small organization that started right here in Hopkinsville, that investment has made a real difference," Lewis said, describing a $26,200 Bentley project funded through the city's Hoptown Helps program. She said the project paired workforce training with tangible community improvements and that her organization established practices of "transparency, accountability, and results." Lewis invited council members and the public to an open house for the Bentley project on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The council did not take formal action on the nonprofit's request during public comment; Lewis's remarks were delivered during the meeting's public-comment period. She asked the council to continue creating opportunities for underserved youth and families and emphasized that the renovated Bentley building would serve broader community education and mentoring needs.

The council's broader agenda that night included multiple budget and ordinance items; staff later presented the city's June financial report and several ordinances passed on first or second reading. The Meant to Be open house is scheduled for Aug. 1 (Lewis provided the date and a morning start time during her remarks).