Submitted photo A total of $1.2 million will be coming to West Virginia Wesleyan College in the form of West Virginia First Foundation’s new Momentum Initiative Grants.

BUCKHANNON — A total of $1.2 million will be coming to West Virginia Wesleyan College in the form of West Virginia First Foundation’s new Momentum Initiative Grants.

“We are honored to receive not one, but two grants from the West Virginia First Foundation in this award cycle,” said Dr. James Moore, president of West Virginia Wesleyan College.

The first grant, $947,916 awarded under the WVFF’s Foster Care & Non-Parental Caregivers target area, will support a statewide initiative in partnership with West Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (WV CASA) build capacity and expand the work of CASA staff and volunteers through training programs designed to empower innovation and strengthen existing work with foster parents and non-parental caregivers.

Additionally, WVWC received a $246,125 award under the Behavioral Health & Workforce Development target area to support the addiction counseling workforce by expanding access to WVWC’s Addiction Counseling Graduate Certificate program.

In coordination with participating county and municipal governments, qualified healthcare professionals that reside or work within WVFF Region Four (Barbour, Braxton, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, Upshur counties) may be eligible for scholarship dollars that may be used toward the graduate certificate program — strengthening the region’s capacity to meet critical behavioral health needs. This initiative models a program developed between the City of Buckhannon and WVWC in 2025.

“These investments allow us to strengthen our growing Certificate in Addiction Counseling Program, which develops well-trained professionals equipped with the training to address substance use disorders in West Virginia,” Moore said.

“We are also honored to expand our commitment to servant leadership through a new partnership with WV CASA, supporting their vital mission to serve children and families affected by the opioid epidemic while helping to build a stronger, healthier state.” 

The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects “WVFF’s continued commitment to responsible stewardship of opioid settlement funds and to supporting projects and organizations that strengthen systems of care across West Virginia,” a press release states.

“The Momentum Initiative Grant was designed to support organizations that are ready to scale, collaborate, and deliver lasting results,” Jonathan Board, WVFF executive director, said in the release. “The work of West Virginia Wesleyan College reflects the kind of leadership and local insight needed to move this effort forward.”

Through MIG, WVFF is advancing nearly $18 million to support projects across the state that address prevention, treatment, recovery, and workforce needs; building on lessons learned and focusing on accountability, sustainability, and long-term impact.

The West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF) is a nonprofit organization established to address the opioid crisis and its lasting impact across the state. Created under the terms of the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), WVFF was designed to receive and distribute opioid settlement funds.

Guided by the principles outlined in the MOU, the Foundation operates as a private 501(c)(3) entity to support prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction efforts.

For more information, visit wvfirst.org.