Author: Kathy Mills

 

 

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The Kentucky Works Program supports the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the following Kentucky counties. Anderson, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Franklin, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, Washington, and Woodford. Our goal is to assess these individuals to identify barriers, work to overcome those barriers to make them self- sufficient. We also have job readiness classes to help with resumes, job search, job interviews, etc.

 

·       We currently have 89 clients that are employed in the K-TAP Program. This is up 8 workers since the last quarter and up 39 from two quarters ago. Our Employment Specialists continue to follow up with each of these clients and track the hours they are working. We served 85 clients in the K-Tap program for the quarter ending March 31^st, 2026. We placed 67 clients in the quarter.

·       On the SNAP Employment and Training program we continue to reach out to these clients and complete assessments when they are referred to us. We had 890 clients referred to us for the quarter ending March 31, 2026.

·       We continue to stay in touch with employers and if we do get referrals, we match the clients’ skills with the employer needs to have a good match. We call new employers each week and keep a current job listing for each county we serve.

·       Our staff continues to stay in touch with staff meeting every other month, either in person or virtually to discuss all relative matters in the program.

·       We continue to offer a wage subsidy program where if an employer hires one of our K-TAP clients they will be reimbursed for a portion of their wages during the first six month of employment. We had one client successfully complete the wage subsidy program in the quarter ending March 31, 2026.

Congregate Meals served 4,827 in March!

Congregate Meals has been busy getting ready for their annual monitoring.

Seniors are signing up to ride with CATS to attend the Senior Celebration in May.

We would love having new seniors join us at our centers. They will meet new friends, enjoy a great meal and have a good time. We have been trying to plan new ideas for activities to increase our participation. The photo shows some beautiful flowerpots that were made by the seniors in Meade County. The local library brought over supplies and did this activity with them.

Hello! My name is Sam Ross, and I am the new Community Services/HEAP Director. I come from the Weatherization Assistance Program but have been helping in the CSBG program since September last fall. It is my pleasure to serve in this role, and I look forward to continuing the good work the CSBG Program does in our communities.

It is always an exciting time to be a part of Community Action and see assistance in action. There are a number of programs and activities ending and beginning during this time between seasons.

Most recently, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services has approved a Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Spring Cooling Subsidy. This is an electric-only assistance program and will run from Monday, April 20 through Friday, May 22, 2026.

Eligible households must be within 150% of the federal poverty guidelines and willing to provide supporting documentation:

•      Address Verification, such as a metered utility bill, unopened legal piece of first-class mail confirming the name and address, etc.

•        Proof of all household income for the preceding month (award letter, pay stubs, etc.)

•     Photo ID for the applicant and Social Security card(s) or official documentation with social security numbers or Permanent Resident card numbers for everyone living in the household

•        Most recent electric bill or verification from landlord that cooling expenses are included in the rent (i.e. lease agreements)

 

Since this is a credit program to the client’s bill, we are encouraging all income-eligible households to call their local CSBG office to set up an appointment to apply.

On behalf of Central Kentucky Community Action Council, I hope that you and your loved ones had a great Easter weekend and are looking forward to Spring. We are hard at work supporting the citizens of central Kentucky!

Spring LIHEAP Subsidy will run from April 20^th to May 22^nd. Unlike our Winter Crisis component, LIHEAP Subsidy program does not require a potential client to be in a shut-off situation. If you know folks who are struggling to afford utility and housing costs, please have them contact their local CSBG office in their county.

CKCAC is very excited to announce that we have received grant funding from Kentucky Housing Corporation to create an Affordable Housing Program for our area. The funding is limited, but we are excited to bring these resources to our communities and make meaningful impacts in folks’ lives. Be on the lookout for more details in the coming months.

State and Federal budget and policy decisions are something that we are monitoring closely. As we have concluded the budget session for Kentucky, CKCAC feels confident that we will be able to preserve our current programs, including Senior Congregate Meals and Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation. From the Federal perspective, things are a bit murkier. The President’s skinny budget continues to completely cut CSBG, LIHEAP, and Weatherization programs and the Administration’s Office of Management and Budget has been delaying the release of funds that have already been appropriated for CSBG. We all need to work together to remind Congress of the importance of the work that CKCAC does with these funds as we move forward.

As always, thank you for all you do.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Spring Subsidy enrollment will begin on April 20 and run through May 22, 2026.

LIHEAP Spring Subsidy is designed to help households with income up to 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to offset their cooling costs. It provides a one-time electric benefit, which is paid directly to the household’s electric vendor.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, or until funds are depleted.

Interested households should contact Central KY Community Action Council, Inc to apply. To locate your local outreach office, visit capky.org or call the phone numbers listed above for our 8-county area offices.

Eligibility Requirements

Households must meet program eligibility criteria, including income limits, to qualify for assistance.

Applicants are required to provide the following documentation at the time of application:

1. Proof of Social Security Number or Permanent Residence card (Green Card) for each member of the household.
2. Proof of income for all household members from the preceding month.
3. Most current electric bill, a statement from your landlord if electric is included in your rent, or a statement from utility company if you participate in a Pre-Pay Electric Program.
4. The account number and name on the account for main heating fuel sources and electric bill.

Spring Subsidy does not require a disconnect notice, a past due bill, or eviction notice. The Subsidy benefit can be applied as a credit on your account. Assistance received during previous LIHEAP components does not affect household’s eligibility.

Community Action Kentucky administers LIHEAP in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which receives funding as a pass-through block grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.