Category: Newsletter

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, and 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 continues to have a significant impact on both of our programs. The state of emergency that the state of Kentucky had implemented with a “Good Cause Exemption” where clients are not required to participate in the programs was lifted on July 1^st, however there were no sanctions being levied for non-participation until December 2022 so participation is still low.

 · We currently have 24 clients that are employed in the K-TAP Program, and 6 clients that are at a site gaining work experience. The referrals have picked up with the state of emergency ending and sanctions now being implemented for non-compliance. Our Employment Specialists continue to follow up with each of these clients and track the hours they are working. We served 67 clients in the K-Tap program for the second quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 which more than doubles the number we served in the last quarter, and is 41 more than we served for all of the last fiscal year.

· 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 1060 referrals for the SNAP program during the last fiscal year.

· We continue to stay in touch with employers and if we do get referrals, we match the client’s 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 some of them are still unable to accept our referrals. We have 124 sites in our 17 counties that we send our clients and as of now, 67 are open and/or willing to accept referrals due to Covid-19. Staff visited these sites in October to update paperwork and check to see if they were needing workers and are currently in the process of checking again.

· Our staff continues to stay in touch to discuss all relative matters in the program. We have staff meetings every other month. We are now conducting our staff meetings in person.

· 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.

Martha ‘Jewell’ Bartley, Head Start Quality Assurance Manager

Hal Goode, Executive Director

Have you ever made someone’s day and seen their face light up? Some of the most important Christmas gifts can’t be wrapped—like giving of your time and helping fill someone’s heart with joy. Here’s a list of creative and simple ways to spread the true spirit of Christmas and share the warmth you have at home with others. These random acts of kindness may take just minutes to do, but the memory of helping others will stay with you (and those you help) for so much longer. Here’s 29, go……

1. Bake a pie and bring it to your neighbor. A classic apple pie or seasonal Hot Chocolate Pie is sure to brighten anyone’s day.
2. Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line. What could be better than a surprise of free caffeine?
3. Donate to a toy drive. The holidays can be an especially hard time for struggling families.
4. Surprise your spouse by scraping the snow off their car in the morning. These acts of kindness don’t need to be big. A simple act that shows you care (and gives your spouse a few extra minutes in the warm house) is just as meaningful.
5. Donate extra winter clothes, hats and mittens to a local shelter.
6. Make a batch of holiday treats and bring them to the office. Treats that travel well, that’s a good place to start.
7. Send a postcard to sick children in the hospital. You can send mail to Cards for Hospitalized Kids. This organization sends cards to children who are fighting serious illnesses in hospitals in the U.S. Your kind words could help make a child’s holiday very special.
8. Find opportunities to give compliments. Compliments are free and take no time to deliver!
9. Sing an employee’s praises to a manager or on a comment card. Did an employee help make your experience better? A little recognition goes a long way.
10. Put sticky notes with positive messages in public places.
11. Sing Christmas Carols, play board games, or just visit with senior citizens at a nursing home.
12. Offer to babysit for new parents. Give the gift of time and take care of their little ones so the new parents can enjoy a date night or take care of holiday shopping.
13. Purchase extra dog or cat food and drop it off at an animal shelter. While you’re picking up food for Fido, buy an extra bag for those animals who are waiting for their forever homes this season.
14. Help corral stray carts in a store parking lot while you’re out shopping for gifts. Those cart-return guys have their work cut out for them!
15. Donate clean, new socks and underwear to a local shelter.
16. Offer to take someone’s group photo. It’s the holidays and many people are out celebrating together or sightseeing. See a group that’s struggling to get everyone in one selfie? Lend a hand.
17. Donate coloring books and boxes of crayons to the pediatric wing of a local hospital.
18. Give a hot drink to the person ringing the Salvation Army bell. Show those volunteers some love as they collect donations.
19. Hide a few dollars around the Dollar Store.
20. Invite someone you suspect will be alone to join your holiday celebrations. The holidays can be a lonely time for those with family far away. Give someone an opportunity to make memories with you and your family.
21. Tape cash or a gift card on a random gas pump.
22. Pay the overdue fees for 5 people at the library. We’re all guilty of hanging onto a book a few days too long, right? Surprise someone with a $0 balance this year.
23. Volunteer at a crisis nursery.
24. Shovel your neighbor’s front walkway.
25. Serve meals at a local Senior Center, homeless shelter or soup kitchen. And consider signing up for a shift in January or February, after the holiday volunteer rush is over.
26. When you’re in line at the grocery store, buy a gift card and hand it to the person checking out behind you. If you want to be more anonymous, give the gift card to the cashier and ask them to give it to someone in line who needs it.
27. Pick up trash in a local park. Spend half an hour picking up debris in your favorite local spot and leave the park better than when you found it.
28. Write a letter to a soldier who’s deployed. Operation Gratitude sends care packages, including letters, to soldiers who are deployed. Letters are accepted year-round. And if you need packing supplies for your military care package, the United States Postal Service offers a free Military Care Kit, including boxes that say “America Supports You.”
29. Participate in a blood drive. Visit the American Red Cross to find a blood drive nearest you and help give the gift of life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.   More to come…………much more…………

Ronda Bertrand, CCC Director

Community Collaboration for Children has been busy collecting Toys for Tots for Nelson County. In-Home services have a few clients waiting but will be opened in the next few weeks. Ashley and Amanda are working extremely hard to keep the waiting list down.

Parent Engagement Meeting Program for Marion County Elementary schools is picking for the year 2022-23. We are working on expanding into other counties.

Trail of Hope Regional Networks Build A Bed program has been extremely busy already making sure 33 children have a bed. We are working on sponsorships to purchase bed frames, mattresses, bedding, and pillows. CCC will attend the next Trail of Hope Regional Network which meet in person at Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown on January 18, 2023 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 several months. CCC has delivered 8 cakes to our families.

Bryan Conover, Head Start Grant Writer/Compliance Manager

Hal Goode, Executive Director

Proud of our team. Wanted to shout out to CATS Driver Steven Spalding who recently with his church group went to Eastern Kentucky and helped with the cleanup. Steven pointed out the gentleman in Pink is the veteran of the group, Ike Peterson of Whitesburg who helped the group with the cleanup. Beside him is his wife Kaye. Steven said all of the crew are in the picture except Ilona Burdette who took the picture. The work consisted of the whole room being gutted, new subfloors, floor, drywall, and insulation. The group were able to salvage all the back except half of the main flooring, baseboards, and painting.
Thanks Steven and all those others working with CKCAC who took time, talents, and funding to assist our neighbors in Eastern Kentucky.  More to come…………..much more…….

Our program continues its work from being an immediate emergency assistance provider to becoming a program that really helps the families of low-income change their lives. Although we continue to provide emergency assistance, we also assist with budgeting, developing family goal plans and strategies to avoid future emergencies. As we work with families to develop strategies to prevent future emergencies, tips such as budget billing, paying your rent first, shopping at less expensive stores, and controlling impulsive spending are helpful and sometimes well received. Those not working are encouraged to find employment. Our employment and education programs can assist with small barriers to gaining full time employment or better employment. How do we help? It can be partial assistance with a CNA, CDL class, or proper clothing and shoes for a new job, or gas for transportation to work for a week.

PREPARING FOR LIHEAP Official Dates for Subsidy, Nov. 7ththrough Dec. 16^th.    We will not be using a Calendar Schedule for Subsidy this year. The vendor information packets have been sent to over 100 vendors. Vendor advertisements have run in local papers throughout the 8-county region. The vendor agreements must be on file in the Central Office before vendors can participate in the Low Income Heating Assistance Program. Special thanks in advance to Judith for a job well done. When these agreements are returned by mail, they will be reviewed, filed, and then the information updated in the computers in the county offices.

Pre-registration opportunities for the 2022-2023 Subsidy Heating Assistance Program will be offered during October 17th – November 2nd for those residents who are elderly (age 60 or over) or disabled on a fixed income receiving social security, SSI, pension or Black Lung benefits. Pre-registration benefits will post in November.

Applicants must be within 130% of the federal poverty guidelines and willing to provide the documentation below:

• Address Verification, 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 (food stamp award letter, pay stubs, etc.).
• Social Security card(s) or official documentation with social security numbers or Permanent Resident Card Numbers for everyone living in the household.
• Most recent heating bill or verification from landlord that heating expenses are included in the rent (i.e. lease agreements).

Income-eligible residents who do not meet the requirements for pre-registration (who are not elderly or disabled) may still apply for Subsidy LIHEAP benefits starting November 7 – December 16, 2022.  

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT for 2022-2023 is underway. The results help determine the CSBG program budget for the upcoming year. We are needing a broad range of community members to complete the survey, so feel free to share. Your help is greatly appreciated. If you are a CKCAC Board member completing the survey, please choose board member.

Could you please go online and compete this survey for Central Kentucky Community Action? This survey is for our Community Needs Assessment for year 2022-2023.

The survey allows us to continue to have programs in our county. You can do this by clicking on the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZKH2Y8-2022-2023CNA

The weatherization program is fully staffed and has 51 clients on the waiting list for weatherization services to start the 2022/23 fiscal year. The Weatherization Program as of July 1, 2022 is providing weatherization services to our 8-county area with 2 jobs completed, 9 walkaways, 1 cancelation, and 9 jobs in-progress. 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 ensure 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’s Weatherization Program (WX) is fully staffed with a highly trained supporting and technical staff consisting of: Dwelling Needs Evaluator EA/QCI Denny Baxter, Crew Leader Josh Mattingly, Retrofit Installer Mike Burden, and supporting staff Weatherization Manager Barbara Garrett. We would like to say a huge thank you to all WX staff for their dedication for 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, LIHEAP, East Kentucky Power, Big Rivers Electric, Kentucky Utilities, and Louisville Gas& Electric.

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, and help make them self- sufficient. We also have job readiness classes to help with resumes, job search, job interviews, etc.

Covid-19 continues to have a significant impact on both of our programs. The state of emergency that the state of Kentucky had implemented with a “Good Cause exemption” where clients are not required to participate in the programs was lifted on July 1^st, however there are still no sanctions being levied for non-participation until December 2022. Thus, participation is still low. Kentucky Works staff have returned to working in the office. 

• We currently have 10 clients that are employed in the K-TAP Program, and 4 clients that are at a site gaining work experience. The referrals have picked up with the state of emergency ending and the time getting closer where sanctions will be implemented for non-compliance. Our Employment Specialists continue to follow up with each of these clients and track the hours they are working. We served 32 clients in the K-Tap program for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, which is 6 more than we served for all of the last fiscal year.
• 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 1060 referrals for the SNAP program during the last fiscal year.
• We continue to stay in touch with employers and if/when 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 some of them are still unable to accept our referrals. We have 124 sites in our 17 counties that we send our clients and as of now, 67 are open and/or willing to accept referrals due to Covid-19. Staff visited these sites in August to update paperwork and check to see if they were needing workers and are currently in the process of checking again.
• Our staff continues to stay in touch to discuss all relative matters in the program. We have staff meetings every other month. We are now conducting our staff meetings in person.
• 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 just had our program audited in September and there were no findings.