Author: Kathy Mills

David Lindsey, Weatherization Program Director

The Weatherization Program Staff, as of June 30, 2023, are working to close out our fiscal year 2022/23. The Weatherization Program (WX) will close out the fiscal year with the following final number of clients who have received services during the 2022/23 program year; 24 jobs completed, 29 deferrals, 4 cancellations. The Weatherization Program is fully staffed with an in-house crew, and we are utilizing contractors to perform HVAC and Electrical work that we must perform to the dwellings receiving services. We look forward to the future of the new contract year of CKCAC’s Weatherization Program to progress and better serve our 8-county service area.

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.

Central Kentucky Community Action Council Weatherization program is fully staffed with a highly trained support and technical staff consisting of Denny Baxter-Dwelling Needs Evaluator EA/QCI, Josh Mattingly-Crew Leader, Mike Burden-Retrofit Installer, Seth Riggs-Retrofit Installer and Barbara Garrett-Weatherization Administrative Support Specialist. We would like to say a huge thank you to all WX staff for their dedication to improving the quality of work and the dedication to ensure the health and safety of all the clients we serve.

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

Tommy Wheatley, Kentucky Works Director

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.

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on both of our programs over the past couple of years with a state of emergency “Good Cause exemption” where clients were not required to participate in the programs. This good cause exemption ended 7-1-2022 but there were still no sanctions due to non-participation until December 2022 so it has still had an impact. SNAP E & T just ended their state of emergency and starting July 1, 2023 Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents will be mandated to participate in the program again.

·       We currently have 34 clients that are employed in the K-TAP Program. This is up 10 from when last reported. Our Employment Specialists continue to follow up with each of these clients and track the hours they are working. We served 57 clients in the K-Tap program for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.

·       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 served 442 clients for the SNAP program during the last quarter.

·       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.

·       We continue to see an impact with Covid on our Work Experience Program sites as many of them are still unable to accept our referrals. We currently have 67 sites in our 17 counties that we can send our clients to.

·       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 are under contract for KTAP and SNAP E & T through June 2024.

Ellen Leake, CSBG-LIHEAP Director/Operations Officer

CSBG Bulletin Report July 2023

CLOSING PROGRAM YEAR 2022-2023

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 have been provided into the computer. We followed up on many clients so that we could also report the outcome of our efforts through NPI’s and services report for CSBG.

The CSBG Staff have assisted 12,535 Individuals; 6,250 Households-unduplicated count.

LIHEAP SUBSIDY 3281 Households $416,371.00

LIHEAP CRISIS 4242 Households $953,247.65

SPRING COOLING SUBSIDY 2,032 Households $280,811.00.00

SUMMER COOLING SUBSIDY 1038 Households $348,300.00

SUMMER COOLING CRISIS 639 Households $136,368.00

GARDENS 168 individual gardens are planted and flourishing with the recent rains.

YOUTH PROGRAMS – The Youth Programs carried out in the Counties have been exciting. We want to provide opportunities for children who may not have them otherwise. We were able to obtain a discounted family pass for one year with the Louisville Zoo. 70 families took advantage of the opportunity. 10 families swim passes or lessons were also provided.

Thank you to all the staff for their hard work with the various programs operated by Community Services.

Martha ‘Jewell’ Bartley, Head Start Quality Assurance Manager

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Hal B. Goode, Executive Director

As the summer sun shines brightly upon us, I hope this newsletter finds you all in good health and high spirits. At Central Kentucky Community Action, we continue our commitment to serving and supporting all members of our community, with a particular focus this month on our cherished seniors.

The summer season can bring both joy and challenges for our older adults. While many seniors look forward to enjoying the warm weather and engaging in outdoor activities, it is crucial that we also ensure their safety and well-being during these months. In this article, I would like to share some valuable information and tips on how we can help our seniors make the most of their summer while prioritizing their safety.

1. Stay Hydrated and Beat the Heat: High temperatures during summer can pose risks, especially for seniors. Encourage them to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Provide information about the signs of dehydration and heatstroke, such as dizziness, confusion, or excessive sweating. It is also helpful to remind them to avoid direct exposure to the sun during peak hours and to seek shade whenever possible.

2. Check-In Regularly: Loneliness and isolation can intensify during the summer months when family members and friends may be away on vacation. Encourage community members to regularly check in on their senior neighbors, friends, and relatives. A simple phone call, a visit, or organizing social events can make a significant difference in combating social isolation and ensuring their well-being.

3. Provide Transportation Support: Help seniors access transportation for medical appointments, grocery shopping, or social engagements. Offer assistance in coordinating rides through local community transportation services, volunteer programs, or by organizing a carpooling system within the neighborhood. Ensuring reliable transportation options will help seniors remain active and engaged in the community. Our CATS Transportation stands ready to assist.  

4. Safety in the Outdoors: Outdoor activities are enjoyable, but it is important to remind seniors about safety precautions. Encourage them to wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, apply sunscreen regularly, and wear a hat and sunglasses to protect against harmful UV rays. Provide information about the risks of insect bites and the importance of using insect repellents when spending time outdoors.

5. Home Safety Checks: Arrange for home safety inspections to identify and address potential hazards that may be more prevalent during the summer. Ensure that seniors have proper ventilation, fans, or air conditioning to keep their homes cool. Check for loose rugs, slippery floors, or other tripping hazards that could lead to falls.

6. Emergency Preparedness: Educate seniors about emergency preparedness measures. Provide them with resources to create an emergency kit containing essentials such as water, non-perishable food, medications, flashlights, and a battery-powered radio. Encourage them to develop an emergency plan and share it with a trusted neighbor or family member.

Remember, a small act of kindness can brighten someone’s day and have a lasting impact on their lives. Let’s come together as a community and ensure that our beloved seniors have a safe and enjoyable summer season.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our community’s well-being. Together, we can make a difference.

More to come…………much more………………

Ronda Bertrand, CCC Network Coordinator

June 2023 Newsletter

Community Collaboration for Children waiting list is growing. CCC has been busy helping families with their needs and trying to get the waiting list down. April was Child Abuse Awareness Month, CCC provided pinwheels and yard signs in all eight of our counties. Trail of Hope Regional Network is required to hold trainings: Trauma Informed Care training was on April 19^th at the Hardin County Extension Office was a huge success.

I would like to welcome CCC’s New In-Home Worker Jazmine Head. Jazmine grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and attended Austin Peay State University where she gained her bachelor’s degree. She is very excited to continue to work with families and help in the community. Parent Engagement Meeting Program has been busy with the year-end reports for Marion County Elementary schools. We are working on getting other counties to participate in the PEM program. Trail of Hope Regional Network is attending Community baby showers in Washington, Hardin, and Meade counties.

The Trail of Hope Regional Networks Build A Bed program has been extremely busy already making sure 88 children have a bed. We are working on sponsorships to purchase bed frames, mattresses, bedding, and pillows. Trail of Hope Regional Network will meet in person at Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown at 10 AM. If you are interested in being a network member please reach out to Ronda Bertrand, CCC Network Coordinator at 270-692-7553.

Wow!! Cakes 4 Kids volunteers have been busy the past months. CCC has delivered 10 cakes to our families.

September 13^th, 2023 CCC Trail of Hope Regional Meeting will meet at the Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown at 10:00 am.

Bryan Conover, Head Start Director

June 2023

Summer is upon us! Head Start has completed another successful year and Early Head Start is excited to serve our 2 and 3-year-olds through July. We want to thank you for your continued support of Head Start and Early Head Start in our communities. It truly takes us all to support these children and families in need.

Summer is also a time of transition for our programs. Some children will move to Kindergarten in the Fall. Some will move from Early Head Start to Head Start. Changes in staff are also inevitable over the summer months. Ms. Tammy Stanley has retired as the Director of Head Start and Early Head Start. After nearly three decades of service to the children and families, Tammy is going to be sorely missed. All of us from Head Start and Early Head Start wish her the best in her retirement.

Mr. Bryan Conover has been named the new Director for Head Start and Early Head Start. Filling Tammy’s shoes will be difficult, but Bryan is excited to get started.

Another transition that is happening is that our Bardstown Center has moved to a new location at 820 Pennsylvania Avenue! Bardstown Head Start is going to be next door to other CKCAC programs (CSBG, Ky Works, CCC, etc.) to provide an overall CKCAC campus to serve Bardstown and Nelson County families. We are very excited about this move and look forward to having you visit us sometime!

Lastly, we are actively recruiting new children to our Head Start and Early Head Start programs and new staff to our ranks. If you have any referrals for us, please contact us at HeadStart@CKYHS.org. We greatly appreciate your support. Have a wonderful and relaxing summer.

Martha ‘Jewell’ Bartley, Head Start Quality Assurance Manager