Author: J Miles

What’s up with the Kentucky Works Program (KWP)? A new contract is what! In late May, KWP was approached by the Cabinet to take over the SNAP (food stamp) Employment & Training Program. Based on our experience with the KTAP Job Training Program and the successes over the years, it was decided that this would be a perfect fit for KWP. Services began on 7/1/19 and although there are many hiccups, as is usually the case with start-ups, this is an exciting time for the KWP staff.

Staff will work with the SNAP participants, first by assessing their current situation and then helping them to develop a plan to reach their employment goals. Some will have to start with basic soft skills training, some will need to obtain their GED and others might just need someone in their corner to help them land that much needed job.

The goal of this program is like many of the other programs ran by CKCAC—to help our participants set goals, reach them and to become self-sufficient. When this is accomplished, they will no longer need to rely on public assistance.

The Work Plan and Budget has been approved and signed for Community Services Block Grant for the new program year.  The program priority is EMPLOYMENT. This was determined by the most recent Needs Assessment

The CSBG Staff has been busy closing out one Program Year and beginning a new one.  Staff members have worked diligently to enter all services that had been provided into the computer.  We followed up on many clients so that we could also report the outcome of our efforts through ROMA.  

We now have 170 individual gardens and 2 community gardens that are planted and flourishing with the recent rains.

The Youth Programs carried out in the counties have been very exciting. We want to provide opportunities for children who may not have them otherwise.  40 kids and their families have pool passes to swim and 22 attended 4 H and Salvation Army Camps.

Central Kentucky Community Action’s (CKCAC) Weatherization Program is in full swing and performing services in our 8 county service area. The Weatherization Program finished out the 2018/2019 contract year with 37 completed homes receiving services. We have closed out both Technical Field and Compliance monitoring reports from KHC and received excellent reviews. The Weatherization Program received both DOE and LIHEAP contracts for the 2019/2020 year. CKCAC has 35 clients on the waiting list to receive services as of July 1^st 2019. We are still fully staffed with an in-house crew and are still utilizing contractors to perform HVAC, electrical work, as well as, weatherization that we have to perform to the dwellings receiving services.

CKCAC has leveraged funds from utilities to expand the reach of the Weatherization Assistance Program. This year we are leveraging funding from DOE, LIHEAP, ATMOS, East Kentucky Power, Kentucky Utilities, and Louisville Gas& Electric.

Our goal with weatherization is to continue to reduce energy waste and assure the Health and safety of each client we serve through testing consisting of; aliening air and thermal boundaries, pressure diagnostics, heating system diagnostics, indoor air quality, and base load energy consumption diagnostics.

Recently, I was invited to the Senior Day at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Lebanon.  I got the chance to talk with some of our awesome seniors who are involved in many different activities in the community. Central Kentucky Community Action Council (CKCAC) takes pride in working with our seniors in the Lincoln Trail Area Development District. Through a variety of programs and services, we help ensure seniors in need have access to nutritious meals, transportation services, home energy-saving resources, volunteer and engagement options, and so much more. Some of these programs include the Senior Companion Program, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Senior Congregate Meals Program and the Senior Center without Walls Program we are doing in Meade County. We definitely love our senior community! Go now to see more details on the Central Kentucky Community Action Agency’s senior programs at the following link:

Senior Support Services

As always thanks for your support and please contact one of our offices if you need anything.   More to come……..much more…..

The Tri County United Way recognized CKCAC Executive Director, Hal B. Goode, by awarding him the Tri County Kentucky 2019 United Way Leadership Award today. Goode complemented the team at Central Kentucky Community Action Council, who work tirelessly to see investments, like the funding from Tri County United Way, work with Nelson, Marion & Washington Counties. The funding helps bring people out of poverty and into employment. He went on to say that “Central Kentucky Community Action Council changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.”

There have been many exciting activities and events throughout all our Head Start and Early Head Start Centers in 2019. On Thursday, May 2, 2019, our Loretto Head Start participated in a Community Clean Up Day. In all, 39 children and 10 adults worked diligently to gather trash and debris from essential community locations. The children and adults helped to clean their school, the Loretto Daycare, the Loretto Community Center, the Loretto City Ball Park, the St. Francis Activity Center and the Loretto City Hall. The children worked while learning about Community Service and how vital it is to play a part in keeping your community safe and clean. It was a wonderful day where the children had hand on experience in making a difference for their community.

            Other family activities and events include Family Game Night at our Meade Center, building and ribbon cutting of the Little Free Library at our Larue Center, kindergarten field trips with those children who will be transitioning into kindergarten, reading and sing along from local attorneys at our St. Catharine Center and participation in a “flower shop” at our Stithon Center! Our Head Start centers pride themselves on being innovative and are always finding new learning activities for their children.

            Also, as we are wrapping up the 2018/2019 school year, all six counties have been hosting and participating in Field Day and Graduations. The teachers have truly gone above and beyond with their events hosted for families and friends at their centers. It has been a special time around Head Start, as we hear the little feet walk across the stage and grab their diplomas to seeing the smiles of parents, friends and family, knowing their children have the school readiness skills to embark on their new kindergarten adventures. We throw our hats off to the graduating Head Start classes of 2019!

Regional Network: CKCAC’s Regional Network began a Build A Bed Program in Marion and Washington Counties. We have collaborated with the Marion County Area Technology Center and the woodoworking class agreed to build the beds. The Family Fellowship Prayer Center provided us with our first $1,000 donation to start the program. We also made connections with each of our lumber companies in both of counties; Parkview Home Center, Lebanon Lumber and Loretto Lumber. All three companies have made donations, deliveries and have made this project possible. We are so grateful for their commitment to this program.

We held a Build A Bed Reveal on May 30^th at the Marion County Library. A bed was available for viewing and we were able to show appreciation to our partners and students. We have made 5 beds so far and are continuing the program as long as there is a need in our communities. We also want to recognize Flanagan’s Appliance Store, for providing us discounted mattresses and also the Loretto Mother House whose donation made it possible to purchase bedding.

In-Home Services: We deliver quality In-Home services to our families and provide professional coaching and support. Right now, we are aiding families in increasing positive parenting and discipline skills, obtaining housing, improving household cleanliness, increasing budgeting skills, financial management, building positive relationships with schools and most importantly providing a positive support for families. We are striving to connect families to available community resources and support that may be beneficial to the family.

We are currently serving 11 families and we have many more on our waiting list. Those on our waiting list have been offered a Family Planning Meeting.  The meetings are a resource used to bring the targeted family and appropriate community partners together in order to brainstorm and create an action plan that will best aid the family. The meetings have been a huge success and are beneficial to the families involved.

Central Kentucky Community Action Council (CKCAC) recently completed an awesome Community Action Month.  There were many activities; including the Senior Celebration in Elizabethtown, sponsorship of the First Friday Forum where Community Action Kentucky Executive Director, Roger McCann, was the guest speaker and a social media information blitz. Also, each of the County Judges in our service area recognized May as Community Action Month during their meetings by signing a proclamation.  

Recently, CKCAC launched our new and improved website.  I want to thank our team here at CKCAC who worked tirelessly on the web site along with our consultant, Mandy Lambert, of Mandy Lambert Consulting, who led us through the process.  Our goal is to provide a site that shows how we are unique, the ability to give feedback, make donations and a clear call to action of what we do at CKCAC.  Please go to www.ckcac.org  and take a look.

Last, CKCAC attended the annual Community Action Kentucky Conference. During the awards banquet we were honored with the 2019 Innovation in Community Action Award for our ongoing Capital Campaign. We would like to thank Spring View Hospital, People’s Bank and Citizens National Bank for their partnership.

Thanks to our team here at CKCAC. I really appreciate all that you do.  It’s going to be a busy summer. Please let me know how CKCAC can be of service to those in your community and how we can give that “hand up” too.

More to come…..much more. 

It is always a sad occasion for one of the long-time Family Child Care Homes to close and move on with life, but it is exciting for Brenda Barrett to start her new life as Mrs. Rodney Robinson. She closed her center May 30, 2019 after 29 years on the program and will marry June 22, 2019. The children and families she served will miss her most.

Barrett began child care in 1990 and started with only 3 kids. In 1991 she became certified as a home child care provider through the Kentucky Department of Child and Family Services and increased to 6 children. She also became certified by Central Kentucky Community Action Council, Inc. (CKCAC) to help provide nutritious meals to the children that she was cared for.  She has enjoyed every minute of serving the parents and ensuring the children were getting the proper foods, throughout the years. Brenda’s Child Care is closed and the 500 or so children that have graced her door over the years will be one of the happiest memories that she will cherish forever.  She knows that each one of them will remember “Ninnie” and she hopes it brings a smile to their face. 

There are eighteen counties with sponsored Family Child Care Homes. These Homes serve from 3 to 12 children each day, providing care within a home setting. They work hard to provide good nutrition to the children they serve.

The agency travels to 12 different counties to sponsor the 23 Unaffiliated Centers. One center is non-profit and 22 centers are for-profit serving at least 25% low income children. Some of the centers serve 90% low income children. These children are given the bulk of the nutrition they need during the day with milk at every meal and fresh fruits and vegetables offered every day.