Category: Newsletter

As the leaves begin to change and a new season unfolds, we’re excited to bring you the latest news and updates from Central Kentucky Community Action Council. This month, I want to highlight the importance of transportation in our community and how it impacts our daily lives.

Central Kentucky Community Action CATS Transportation is a lifeline that connects us, allowing individuals to access employment, education, healthcare, and social activities. Our community thrives when transportation options are abundant and accessible.

Consider this:

1. Access to Opportunities: Reliable transportation opens doors to job opportunities, enabling individuals to become self-sufficient and contribute to the local economy.
2. Healthcare Access:  Many rely on CKCATS transportation to access medical appointments, treatments, and pharmacies. Lack of transportation should never be a barrier to receiving necessary healthcare services.
3. Community Engagement: Transportation fosters social connections. It allows residents to participate in community events, cultural activities, and gatherings that build a sense of belonging.

Our Initiatives:

1. Transportation Assistance Programs: We are committed to providing transportation options for those who face financial barriers. Our programs aim to ensure that no one is left behind due to lack of transportation.
2. Collaborations: We work closely with state transportation authorities, businesses, and other nonprofits to enhance transportation services and create innovative solutions for our community’s needs.
3. Advocacy: We advocate for improved public transportation infrastructure and policies that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. Together, we can create a more connected and resilient community.

As we move forward, let’s remember that transportation is not just a means of getting from one place to another; it’s a bridge that connects us to a brighter future. By working together, we can ensure that those in need in our community have the access they deserve.

More to come…………. much more.

Community Collaboration for Children (CCC) would like to welcome our three new employees. Jazmine Head is our New Parent Engagement Meeting Facilitator/In-Home Worker and she is from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jazmine completed her bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. She has been working with children for about six years. Jazmine’s passion is to help families and watch them grow. Shannon Bishop is our CCC In-Home Worker. She is from Illinois and recently moved to Kentucky to get married. Shannon completed her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University. Shannon has worked with children and families for many years.  Kasey Neagle is our CCC In-Home Worker and she is originally from Shepherdsville, and resides in Bardstown with her husband and two children. Kasey graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with an associate degree in science and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s in Psychology. Everyone is excited to work together as a team to help families.

The Parent Engagement Meeting program is excited to partner with Washington County Elementary schools this year. Marion County Elementary schools have been a part of this program previously, and now CCC is working on expanding into other counties.

The Trail of Hope Regional Network’s Build-A-Bed program has been extremely busy already making sure 30 children have a bed since the first of July. CCC is working on sponsorships to purchase bed frames, mattresses, bedding, and pillows. Trail of Hope Regional Network will meet in person at the Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown at 10:00 AM on September 13^th for our first meeting of the year. If you are interested in being a network member, please reach out to Ronda Bertrand, CCC Director/Regional Coordinator, Trail of Hope Network at 270-692-7553. On November 8^th, the CCC Trail of Hope Regional Meeting will meet at Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown at 10:00 AM.

Wow!! Cakes 4 Kids volunteers have been busy the past several months. CCC has delivered 6 cakes to our families.

On October 1st, CCC will be placing the Toys for Tots boxes in Nelson County. 

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 23 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.

Kentucky’s CACFP Income Eligibility Guidelines and Per Meal Reimbursement Rates change each year at the close of the June reporting. Thus, the new rates began with the July 2023 reporting that was submitted and processed in August. Overall, the monthly Income Eligibility Guidelines increased by $107 up to $426 for Free Meals and by $152 up to $606 for Reduced Meals depending on the family household size (up to 8).

Center Reimbursement Rate changes, however, went up and down depending on the type of meal being served as well as eligibility. While Breakfast meals for Reduced and Free eligibility reimbursement rates went up by $0.07, Breakfast Paid eligibility went down by the same amount; Lunch/Supper Reduced and Paid eligibility went up $0.22, while Paid eligibility went down the same about for both; Snack meals went down across the board with Free meals being reduced by $0.01, Reduced meals being reduced by $0.06 and Paid meals being reduced by $0.09.

Day Care Home rates are based on a Tier system. Tier I Day Care Homes are in an area where 50% or greater of the children in the local school district are eligible for Free or Reduced meals. Tier II Day Care Homes may still have children in their care who qualify for Free/Reduced meals but are located in a school district that does not meet the 50% or greater criteria for Tier I eligibility. Tier I Reimbursements were reduced by $0.01 for Breakfast meals, increased by $0.08 for Lunch/Supper meals and reduced by $0.04 for Snack meals. Tier II Reimbursements were down across the meals with Breakfast meal reimbursements being reduced by $1.07, Lunch/Supper being reduced by $1.16 and Snack meals being reduced by $0.72.

Any Kentucky 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. 

August is a time for renewal. Central Kentucky Head Start (CKYHS) welcomed all staff back for an exciting and innovative new school year. CKYHS implemented cluster training where a few centers would meet and have more one-on-one time with our trainers. CKYHS also rolled out enrollment and screening procedures that are like our school system partners. Our mission is to teach, to lead, and to serve. All these changes are in hopes to provide the highest quality preschool experience for our children and families. Central Kentucky Head Start has also created the theme for this year as our “Year of the Why.” In everything we do, we are examining the reason behind our actions and all working together to understand the big picture.

Central Kentucky Head Start is fully enrolled as we begin a new school year. These first months of the school year are so important, so staff are working diligently to make sure we are setting the foundation for a wonderful school year. We do have plenty of staff openings and would welcome your support in helping find candidates with a passion for service and working with children!

Our Bardstown Head Start (HS) and Family Enrichment Center have relocated to the new Central Kentucky Community Action campus at 820/830 Pennsylvania Avenue in Bardstown. Having Head Start next door to other CKCAC programs has created a one-stop shop for our children and families. HS is so excited to better serve the families in Nelson County.

Lastly, CKYHS has been working with the Office of Head Start for funding applications of various types. HS received our Cost-of-Living Adjustment and Quality Improvement funds at the end of August. CKYHS was also a recipient of $250,000 one-time supplemental funds to purchase fleet vehicles and make improvements to our facilities and playgrounds. Our application to purchase and renovate the new Bardstown Head Start building is still being reviewed and we are hopeful to have good news on that application soon. CKYHS has been receiving sustainability payments from Kentucky’s Division of Regulated Childcare throughout the pandemic, which has been incredibly helpful for us to make necessary investments in our program. Those payments will cease in December 2023, so CKYHS is preparing for a new fiscal reality as we move into the new year. 

I hope this newsletter finds you all in good health and high spirits. As we move into the dog days of summer, I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the latest happenings at Central Kentucky Community Action Council (CKCAC) and share some important information about our ongoing efforts to provide electric and water bill assistance to those in need.

At CKCAC, we remain committed to our mission of empowering individuals and families in Central Kentucky to achieve self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life. We understand that many households in our region continue to face financial challenges due to various factors, including the rising costs of utilities. Therefore, our team is actively working to provide critical support through our Electric and Water Bill Assistance Program.

Electric and Water Bill Assistance: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Crisis Component and the new Low Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) now thru September 30, 2023.

As the summer heat continues to soar, many families are experiencing increased energy consumption, leading to higher utility bills. CKCAC’s Electric and Water Bill Assistance Program aims to alleviate some of the financial burdens faced by qualifying households. If you or someone you know is struggling to pay their electric or water bills, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our offices. Our dedicated staff is ready to assist you in accessing the available resources and exploring possible aid options.

As we navigate the challenges of the present and look toward a brighter future, let us remember the strength that lies within our community. Together, we can build a more resilient and caring society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your unwavering support, and I look forward to our continued journey in creating positive change together.

More to come………..much more 

CKCATS continues to stay busy with a vast number of trips coming in daily. Our Medicaid trips continue to increase. Director Kerri Taylor is in the process of working with a Medicare Broker to set up NEMT Medicare transportation in all our counties. Medicare transportation is a need in all our counties, and we are pleased to be able to offer this service. To prepare for this new service, we will be hiring several new drivers in all counties to be able to keep up with the trip volume that we anticipate Medicare will bring.

The Senior Celebration in Elizabethtown on May 25^th was a success! CKCATS transported 64 seniors from Marion, Nelson, and Washington to the Senior Celebration at the Pritchard Community Center. There were over 300 seniors in attendance along with CKCATS and many other vendors.

CKCATS participated in several other Senior Fairs in June. On June 5^th, Spring View Hospital held a Coffee with Seniors Resource Fair; June 6^th a Senior Fair was held at the Extension Office in Nelson County; and the annual Senior Fair in Marion County was held on June 28^th at the Fairgrounds. CKCATS also transported seniors in Marion County to the Senior Fair.

CKCATS renewed their contracts in June with both Medicaid Brokers for the new fiscal year. These renewals came with great news! The subcontractor Covid mileage rates will remain in place for FY24!

CKCATS grant applications are completed and funds have been awarded! Thanks to all those in the Central Office who helped with gathering information and submitting information in the grant application.

CKCATS has already received 3 new SUV’s that we applied for on the FY24 grant application. These SUVs were readily available and will be used for ambulatory trips. We placed an SUV in Nelson, Marion, and Larue Counties. We are still waiting for the 12×2 vehicles that became available several months ago. To our knowledge, none of the agencies that are waiting for these vehicles have received them yet. For now, we will wait and hope that they come in the next couple of months.

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. 

Larry and Janet Meyers joined RSVP in May 2023. They both enjoy volunteering at Baptist Health Hardin Hospital in Elizabethtown.

RSVP is looking for others 55 and older that would like to volunteer in Hardin or Nelson County.

The current mileage reimbursement rate to and from the volunteer workstation is 50 cents per mile with a maximum of $60 per month.

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

From July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, we served 183,262 meals to 869 unduplicated clients.

Below is a breakdown:

Bardstown – 20,997 meals to 212 clients

Bradfordsville – 688 meals to 19 clients

Grayson – 5,543 meals to 77 clients

Hardin– 8,293 meals to 67 clients

Breckinridge – 5,682 meals to 49 clients

Larue – 7,795 meals to 103 clients

Lebanon – 21,371 meals to 206 clients

New Haven – 950 meals to 12 clients

Radcliff – 5,087 meals to 58 clients

Washington – 6,846 meals to 72 clients

From July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, 13,187 vouchers were used to redeem meals at Home Plate restaurant in Meade County by 448 clients.

We are excited for the Meade County Senior Center to open its doors again in the near future. Check your local newspaper for an opening date coming soon. We will provide meals to our Meade County participants 4 days per week. 

We have hired Meade County native, Robin Terry to oversee that location. Robin will be a great asset to our team and to the Meade County Senior Center.