Author: Kathy Mills

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

Kathy Hagan, FCCH/UC Program

June 2023

Central Kentucky Community Action Council (CKCAC) is a proud sponsor of the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP is a federal program designed to promote the serving of nutritious meals and snacks to children and adults in the care of participating childcare centers, day care homes and adult day care centers. CKCAC currently sponsors 21 Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) and 24 Unaffiliated Day Care Centers (UC) in over 19 counties in Central Kentucky and beyond. The homes and centers receive monthly reimbursements based on child eligibility and meals served.

Any Family Child Care Homes and/or Day Care Centers who are interested in finding out more about the Child and Adult Care Food Program and how to determine whether they qualify may contact CKCAC’s FCCH/UC Director Kathy Hagan at 502-751-8894 or by email at kathy.hagan@ckcac.org.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Hal B. Goode, Executive Director

Central Kentucky Community Action Council rounded out the observation of May as Community Action Month in Kentucky with a rally of support that drew an overflow crowd to the event in the State Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort as some of our CKCAC staff attended.

Community Action Kentucky has outreach offices in all 120 Kentucky counties. Community Action agencies strive to provide life-changing resources to support a wide array of service areas. They include food security, transportation, home energy, early childhood education, senior support, emergency services, housing, workforce development, family advocacy and more.

Roger McCann, Executive Director of Community Action Kentucky, told a crowd of employees, volunteers, and supporters, * “It’s a chance for us to highlight the irreplaceable role that Community Action plays in the lives of our fellow Kentuckians each day. You all make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of our people, all of them reaching for the dream of self-sufficiency and a better life.”

Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander, a former Director of Louisville Metro Community Action, said, *“I know what you all do. We sponsored a lot of folks to continue their learning at Community Action. The reason why, is because you all make a difference.” Friedlander had this message for the attendees: *“What a privilege it is to be able to get up every day and know that you can make a difference in someone’s life.”

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman also praised the efforts of Community Action staff.  Coleman presented McCann and other Community Action officials with a proclamation issued by Gov. Andy Beshear declaring May as Community Action Month in Kentucky.

As we reflect back on May, Community Action Month is a time for agencies to come together and elevate community action as a voice and driving force for opportunity in Kentucky and America. It’s a chance to promote community action programs and services that help families succeed. And, the month serves as an affirmation of the power of our network to help others.

*Quotes from Tom Latek – Kentucky Today

May was a great time to recognize…

Melissa Bland, RSVP Director

May 2023

The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is looking for volunteers 55 and older to serve in Hardin & Nelson County.  

Volunteers are needed at the Bardstown Senior Center to help serve food to the seniors.  

Volunteers are also needed at Hope Academy for Kids in Hardin County. Opportunities include administration, mentoring students and assisting with fundraising.

Volunteers can receive up to $60 per month (tax free) for their mileage to and from the workstation!

Please contact RSVP Director, Melissa Bland at 270-737-1059 or RSVP.Director@ckcac.org  if you have any questions or would like more information about volunteering!

Tancy Morris, Congregate Meals Director

Congregate Meal Program Newsletter

May 2023

Our seniors are getting excited for Senior Celebration in Elizabethtown on May 25^th. This is an event they look forward to every year. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic the event hasn’t taken place in a few years, so our participants are very excited that it is happening this year. 

Since January 1^st we have served 28,835 meals to 595 unduplicated seniors. We are serving more people than ever due to the carryout/drive through option at all senior centers.

We are excited to bring Marian Frisby, registered dietician back to Meade County for a 30-minute nutrition education session before voucher distribution each month. She brings a lot of helpful information and the participants in Meade County will greatly benefit from her sessions.

January, we distributed 2,330 vouchers to 233 clients.

February, we distributed 2,930 vouchers to 292 clients.

March, we distributed 1,620 vouchers to 162 clients.

April, we distributed 1,170 vouchers to 117 clients.

May 2023 Newsletter

CKCATS’ trip volume continues to climb. The CKCATS team continues to work hard to keep up with the abundance of trips daily. The staff works very hard to make sure that we are able to complete trips in all counties.

I attended the Community Service Meeting in Marion County on March 16^th. The Community Service Board members were present, and I spoke with them to inform them of the services that we provide. The Board Members were very attentive and were excited to share our brochures with the individuals that they serve who may need our services.

On March 25^th, CKCATS attended the Community Fair in Marion County. We were asked to attend the fair along with other businesses to inform the community of our services. The Community Fair was held at the public library.

CKCATS is gearing up for the Senior Celebration that will be held on May 25^th at the Pritchard Community Center in Elizabethtown. CKCATS will be providing transportation from the Senior Centers to Pritchard Community Center for all seniors who pre-register for the ride. CKCATS will also have a booth at the Senior Celebration and will be talking with seniors to make them aware of the services that we provide and will be able to sign seniors up for III-B Senior trips on the spot. If you or anyone you know that is a senior, would like to sign up for transportation to the Senior Celebration, please contact CKCATS at 270-692-9313 or 1-800-242-8225.

We are still waiting for the 12×2 vehicles that became available a few months ago. We hope to get the vehicles soon. We applied for 2 SUVs for Intercity on the FY24 grant application. These SUVs are available so they should arrive within a few weeks.

I have hired a new Grant and Compliance Manager. Erica Mitchell has several years of experience in transportation and is a previous employee of CKCATS. Ms. Mitchell is knowledgeable in the operation of CKCATS and is familiar with the compliance aspect, making her a great choice for the position.

Several staff members of the CKCATS team will be attending the Community Action Kentucky (CAK) Conference in Lexington from June 13-15. There will be a Transportation Track on June 15^th. As always, these conferences are a great way to learn valuable information and to network.  

If you or anyone you know would like to join the staff at CKCATS please go to careers@ckcac.org to apply. CKCATS is hiring full-time and part-time drivers in Marion, Larue, Hardin, Nelson, Breckinridge and Grayson counties.

Kerri Taylor

Transportation Director

Martha ‘Jewell’ Bartley, Head Start Quality Assurance Manager

Hal B. Goode, Executive Director

May is community Action month and Central Kentucky Community Action Council are proud of our 260 Employees who daily fight to pull people from the grasp of poverty.  The below was written by Charisse Johnson Director, Division of Community Assistance for the Office of Community Services, that sets the tone of Community Action.

Community Action creates pathways to prosperity by advancing equity, promoting economic stability, and mobilizing resources that support community-driven solutions for the purpose of addressing the causes and consequences of poverty. The Office of Community Services’ (OCS) Division of Community Assistance (DCA) is excited to celebrate Community Action Month, as a time to acknowledge and amplify the work the Community Action Network (the Network) does to “embody the spirit of hope, improve communities, and make America a better place to live.” During this month, we want to amplify the work of the network, highlight successes, and thank everyone who makes community action possible.

To celebrate the 59th year of Community Action, OCS has chosen the theme, “We See You: Partnering Across the Community Action Network to Advance Equity.” Equity is a cornerstone of Community Action, as is evident in the goals of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG): to reduce poverty, revitalize communities, and empower individuals and families.

This Community Action Month, I hope you take time to reflect on how our Network’s anti-poverty strategies advance equity by helping underserved individuals and communities achieve stability and self-sufficiency. I also hope that during the month you will be inspired to develop, enhance, and implement efforts to further advance equity including:

Identifying and addressing the root causes of inequity in underserved communities.

Dismantling programs and policies that perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunity.

Breaking down service silos and promoting integrated care.

Developing methods to support grant recipients in strategic planning to address practices and policies that historically exacerbate inequity.

Centering the voices of those served, as part of our commitment to equity.

These are some powerful words about Community Action, please join us to take time this month to celebrate for our team as they reflect on the impact of their work.   

More to come…… much more…………….