Rep. Meredith Announces Grant Funding For Veterans Nursing Home

KY District 19 Representative Michael Lee Meredith (R).

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 29, 2021) - Representative Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, announced today that federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is available for the completion of the Bowling Green Veterans Nursing Home.
 
“About six years ago, I became involved in a journey to bring a nursing home to Bowling Green to serve the veterans of South Central Kentucky,” Meredith said. “Today, we got the letter we’ve been waiting for and we will now be able to move forward on this worthy project for our veterans. This project has been the most important work I’ve done during my tenure in the Kentucky House of Representatives.”
 
This will be Kentucky's fifth veterans’ nursing home, and the first for the South Central Kentucky region. The existing state veterans home are located in Wilmore, Radcliff, Madisonville and Hazard. The completion of the Bowling Green Veterans Nursing Home has been a legislative priority for Meredith for several years
 
“Local leaders and veterans saw the need for a veterans nursing home in South Central Kentucky and started planning for this project around 10 years ago. They put their faith in me and asked me to lead their legislative efforts,” Meredith added. “Since 2016, I have been a staunch advocate for state funding for this nursing home. In 2017, I was able to pass HB 13 and we’ve had $10.5 million ready to go since then. In 2020, I passed HB 24 to secure another $2.5 million for design and pre-construction work. Just a few weeks ago, the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs and the Transpark agreed on a site. For six years, we’ve waited for a federal funding letter for the other $19.5 million in federal money needed for this $30 million project, and today we finally got it. ”
 
Meredith thanked local leaders for helping secure federal funding for the veterans nursing home.
 
“So many people have been involved in this project. I am thankful for each and every one of them,” Meredith said. “This would not have been possible without our local, state, and federal leaders who have graciously offered their guidance, support, and leadership. I want to specifically thank the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs and the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) for their help with the application process. I also want to thank the veterans who started this process, with special recognition to Colonel Robert Spiller, who has passed away, and Dr. Ray Biggerstaff, a proud Vietnam Veteran who served as Executive Officer of the Medevac Company with the 101st Airborne. With this funding, the brave and courageous veterans of South Central Kentucky will finally get the care they need and deserve. Having an adequate facility to properly care for our aging veterans is the least we can do for those that were willing to give so much for our freedom.”