We served 4,964 totals meals for Congregate Meals Program for July. Our meals have increased recently.

The seniors have been busy at the centers working on puzzles and framing them to hang up. Some have made bracelets to take home to wear. Some have been having fun with karaoke. You never know what the seniors may be doing for entertainment.

If you know any seniors 60 years or older tell them to come check out the local center in their county. They are sure to have something fun for them to do. They can make new friends, have a warm lunch and enjoy bingo.

The Senior Companion Program (SCP) is actively looking for volunteers and our numbers are growing!

Central Kentucky Senior Companion volunteers meet once a month to discuss questions and updates about the program they serve in, to have lessons and training about topics that are relevant to their everyday lives and the lives of their clients, and to enjoy the company of their fellow volunteers over lunch and games.

The volunteers in the photo are working on different stretches and exercises that they can perform to alleviate the pain and stiffness of arthritis. Volunteers receive a minimum of 20 hours of in-service training each year and are compensated with the same stipend that they earn when they are volunteering with their clients. Our volunteers enjoy each other’s company and learn from each other about better ways to serve their clients.

If you are 55 or older, out of the full-time workforce and would like to become a senior companion volunteer in Marion, Washington, Nelson, Hardin, Grayson, or Breckinridge County, contact program director, Mary Jean Blake at 270-692-2136 or mary.blake@ckcac.org. Let us show you how you can remain active, receive a stipend to help stretch your fixed income, and improve the quality of life for other seniors in your community.

The CKCATS team continues to work hard to provide services in all counties. Medicaid trips continue to keep our staff busy.

CKCATS took a total of 46 Seniors to the Senior Celebration in Elizabethtown on May 21st. The turnout was very successful as always! It was a day full of connection, celebration, and community. We are very proud to participate and partner in making this event successful each year.

CKCATS attended the annual contract meeting with our Brokers on June 5^th and June 26^th. These meetings are held each year to sign new contracts, discuss new rates, and any issues or concerns that any of the Sub-contractors may have. All was well on both ours and the Brokers’ end.

CKCATS set up a booth at Senior Fair Day at the Fairgrounds in Marion County on July 7^th and at the LaRue County Senior Day at the LaRue Co. Extension Office on July 31^st. These are other successful events that are held each year for the Seniors in Marion and LaRue counties. Seniors get to eat, play games, listen to music, and congregate with other Seniors while learning about the services that are offered to them in their area.

Several staff members of the CKCATS team attended the Community Action Kentucky (CAK) Conference in Lexington on June 9^th. This was a very informative training course that consisted of a day that concentrated on transportation.

CKCATS fleet has improved tremendously within a couple of years. We just recently received 12 new minivans that will be distributed throughout all counties. We are currently in the process of getting our safety inspections performed on the new vehicles, and then they will go to Nukem Graphics to complete the decals. We are excited for our passengers to ride in our new vehicles and are grateful that we can give them a pleasant experience on public transport. We are now in the process of going through our old fleet that has met their useful life and are not being used so that we can auction them to have more room for our new vehicles. Currently, we are waiting for 1 more new cutaway bus that should be in before the end of the year.

CATS is gearing up for our annual training on August 15th. This year’s training will be different from the ones in the past. Employees will be split into groups and there will be learning sessions and hands-on training sessions that the employees will complete. The sessions will include icebreakers and games like Jeopardy and Pictionary that will test employees’ knowledge. The goal is for employees to learn while having some fun doing so. I am excited for the employees to see the modifications done with the training and plan to survey them to get their thoughts and ideas on the changes.

CKCATS continues to accept applications for future hiring. If you or anyone you know would like to join the staff at CKCATS please go to ckcac.org or visit and apply by clicking the link below:

https://centralkentuckycommunityactioncouncilinc.applytojob.com/apply

The summer heat is upon us and CKCAC is working hard.

August has us excited for a new school year as our Head Start programs prepare to welcome back kiddos. Our Head Start team have been spending hours and hours of training and preparing for the new school year! There are still a few slots available, if you know of any families still needing preschool services, please contact your local Head Start program.

Summer LIHEAP Cooling Program is now open and will run through September 11, 2026. As a reminder, the Summer LIHEAP Component is a subsidy program on future utility bills. It is NOT for shutoff notices like our other crisis program.

We are excited to announce that the Radcliff Head Start repairs are completed and we have been able to reopen! Thank you to Goff Construction and Landon Goff for diligently completing these repairs quickly and with great attention to detail.

Also, CKCAC owes an incredible debt to Hardin County Schools, including Ms. Teresa Morgan, Superintendent, and Mr. Dan Mahon, Radcliff Elementary Principal, and the Radcliff Elementary team. Thank you so much for being incredibly gracious hosts over these past few months. Your partnership and support are a testament to your commitment to our children and our community. Thank you so much!

Lastly, we have lots of congratulations to share:

1.     Ms. Samantha Ross, our CSBG Director, has successfully completed her Certified Community Action Professional and will be recognized at the National Community Action Partnership Conference in September.

2.     Ms. Jessica Miles, our Finance Director, has been accepted into this year’s cohort for Leadership Lebanon. Leadership Lebanon is a year-long professional development opportunity.

3.     Ms. Shelbi McWhorter, our Human Resources Generalist, has successfully completed her Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) certification.

These accomplishments recognize CKCAC’s commitment to personal and professional development of our staff. Please join me in congratulating these staff members!

As always, thank you for all you do.

Kentucky LIHEAP Summer Subsidy Cooling Component August 3 – September 11, 2026

Available through Community Action Agencies serving all 120 Kentucky counties.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 28, 2026): From August 3 – September 11, 2026, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Summer Subsidy Cooling Component will accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis, or until funds are depleted, for a one-time electric benefit. Interested households should contact the Community Action Agency serving their county of residence to determine eligibility and complete the application process.

Households must meet eligibility requirements, including household income of up to and including 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to receive benefits. Benefits are paid directly to the household’s electric vendor.

Households may call 800-456-3452 or visit www.capky.org/network to locate the office serving their county.

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

*Proof of Social Security Number or Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) for each member of the household.

*Proof of income for all household members from the preceding month.

*Most current electric bill, a statement from your landlord if electric is included in your rent, or a statement from the utility company if you participate in a Pre-Pay Electric Program.

*The account number and name on the account for main heating fuel sources and electric bill.

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

Community Action Kentucky administers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (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. For more information about LIHEAP, including contact information for all local Community Action agencies, please visit the Community Action Kentucky website at www.CAPKY.org.

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About Community Action Kentucky
Community Action Kentucky is the statewide association representing and assisting the 23 Community Action agencies across Kentucky that work to empower individuals and families to attain greater economic stability and long-term success. With a presence in all 120 Kentucky counties, Community Action agencies provide life-changing resources and programs to support a wide array of service areas, including food security, transportation, home energy, early childhood education, senior support, emergency services, housing assistance, workforce development, youth enrichment and more. As a statewide voice for local agencies, Community Action Kentucky works to address policy issues that impact low-income individuals and cultivates broad-reaching partnerships that improve the lives of thousands of Kentuckians, making it possible for them to achieve their goals. For more information about Community Action Kentucky, visit www.CAPKY.org.

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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 97 clients that are employed in the K-TAP Program. This is up 9 workers since the last quarter and up 48 from two quarters ago. Our Employment Specialists continue to follow up with each of these clients and track the hours they are working. We placed 65 clients in the quarter. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 we had 305 referrals and placed 279 either in jobs or work experience activities.

·       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 1,155 clients referred to us for the quarter ending March 31^st, 2026. We placed 121 of those in Employment and Training activities. We currently have 46 participating in E&T activities.

·       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 five client participate in the wage subsidy program for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.