Category: Newsletter

Hal Goode, Executive Director
SEPTEMBER 2022

Central Kentucky Community Action’s WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM is taking Applications to assist homeowners and/or renters with energy-saving improvements!

Would you like to save money on utilities? Did you know that Community Action’s Weatherization services help save families $283 per year on average in energy costs? Reducing energy costs can help you afford food, medicine, and other necessities. 

Through our Weatherization Assistance Program, Central Kentucky Community Action works to reduce energy waste and assure the health and safety of each client we serve. Trained technicians can help qualifying low-income families improve the overall energy efficiency of their homes, saving money and enhancing the quality of life for residents

It’s a simple process…… Questions contact David Lindsey, Weatherization Director or Barbara Garrett, Weatherization Manager at 270-692-2136 #602 or your local Community Action Center to apply for Weatherization Assistance today!  Those contacts are below:

BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY
189 Ball Park Road
Hardinsburg, KY 40143
(270) 756-6813

GRAYSON COUNTY
118 William Thomason Byway
Leitchfield, KY 42754
(270) 259-3500

HARDIN COUNTY
233 Ring Road, Suite 100
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
(270) 234-5845
OR (270) 234-5853

LARUE COUNTY
112 N. Walters Avenue
Hodgenville, KY 42748
(270) 358-3937

MARION COUNTY
332 Hood Avenue
PO Box 830
Lebanon, KY 40033
(270) 692-6411

MEADE COUNTY
496 E. Broadway
Brandenburg, KY 40108
(270) 422-2545

NELSON COUNTY
219 E. Muir Avenue
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-9596

WASHINGTON COUNTY
206 Main Cross Street
Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-0909

More to come………much more……….

Cathy Sparrow, Director

The goal of the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Program (CACFP) is to improve the health and nutrition of children and adults in the program while promoting the development of good eating habits through nutrition education. The CACFP meal patterns helps to ensure children and adults receive wholesome and nutritious meals. The meal patterns focus on providing a variety of nutrient-dense foods such as whole grain, vegetables, fruits, and fat-free and low-fat milk, while reducing added sugars and fat.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program provides assistance to At-Home Daycares and Daycare Centers through Central Kentucky Community Action. Currently we serve 25 Daycare Centers and 23 At-Home Centers. Three unannounced monitor reviews per year are conducted at each site. All sights receive annual training for staff as well as the monitor reviews. Some of the annual training was completed on-line this year due to COVID in the Daycare Centers.

If you are a Family Child Care Home or Unaffiliated Center that would like to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program please call the Director Cathy Sparrow at 270-699-0896.

Ronda Bertrand, Director

CCC In-Home services have been busy with new referrals. Ashley and Amanda are trying hard to keep the waiting list down. 

I would like to welcome CCC’s New Parent Engagement Meeting facilitator/In-Home Worker Joseph Carter from Tompkinsville, KY. Joseph served 4 years in the Army Infantry and continues to serve for the National Guard. Joseph completed his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at WKU in 2019 and continues to pursue his Master’s in Social Work through UK. Joseph has a wife, Kristie and 11-year-old bonus daughter, Rori. Joseph and his family reside in Marion County. Joseph’s goal is to help those in need.

Parent Engagement Meeting Program for Marion County Elementary schools is ready to start the school 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 11 children have a bed. We are working on sponsorships to purchase bed frames, mattresses, bedding, and pillows. 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 9 cakes to our families.

October 1 we will be putting out Toys for Tots boxes in Nelson County.
November 16th CCC Trail of Hope Regional Meeting at Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown at 10 AM.

Hal Goode, Executive Director
AUGUST 2022

The below is from the Facebook page of Michaela Ballard Grundy of Lebanon.

It takes a village to raise a child. In our case, it took a village to save our child. These men and women each played a vital role in saving our daughter’s life. Monday morning, while on our way to daycare with my two children, our two year old, Miles, started to choke on a tic tac. I immediately stopped the car, took her from her car seat, and began basic choking first aid. Two women, Ellen B Leake and Judith Moffitt who work for Central Kentucky Community Action Council had already stopped to help and dialed 911 while several members of the community came to my aid. David Alan Mattingly was able to call Jay and stood by my side to help.

Within three minutes the Lebanon police, Marion County EMS and members of the fire department had reached the scene and taken over. It was EMS director, Brian Smith, who took Miles from me and was able to dislodge the tic tac and open her airway.

In three minutes my daughter’s life flashed before my eyes. In three minutes this community came together and saved my daughter’s life. In three minutes our lives changed forever.

We cannot express in words how grateful we are for our emergency responders. We know the outcome could have been different if not for the proactive members of our community.

We will spend every day thanking God for this community, our family, and our daughter.

It does take a community as we know at CKCAC. Thanks to Judith & Ellen for assisting at the scene to what is truly a miracle. More to come……………much more………..  

Tancy Morris, Congregate Meals Director

Congregate Meals continues to serve meals in person and drive thru. From July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022, we have served 58,487 meals to 755 unduplicated clients. I have included a break down below:

• Bardstown- 15,297 meals to 205 clients
• Bradfordsville – 350 meals to 19 clients
• Grayson – 4,043 meals to 66 clients
• Griffin Manor – 6,362 meals to 62 clients
• Breckinridge – 4,924 meals to 59 clients
• Larue – 4,567 meals to 57 clients
• Loretto – 62 meals to 10 clients
• New Haven – 458 meals to 11 clients
• Radcliff – 2,688 meals to 44 clients
• Washington – 5,816 meals to 44 clients

In July of 2022 we served 443 unduplicated clients 5,768 meals.

From July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022, 6,118 vouchers were used to redeem meals at Home Plate in Brandenburg by 229 unduplicated participants.

This program continues to grow. In July we distributed 1192 vouchers to 147 participants. We meet at the library in Brandenburg on the last Thursday of every month to distribute vouchers.

Gloria Graves at the Washington County Senior Center has retired. Thank you, Gloria, for your service to Central Kentucky Community Action Council and the Washington County Senior Center. We wish you the very best!

Courtney Campbell, SCP Director

The Senior Companion Program just closed out our fiscal year June 30, 2022. SCP volunteers have served 25,533.45 hours over the last year.

Our program is actively looking for anyone who loves to help serve others and meets the standard requirements. Volunteers do receive a tax-free stipend, along with mileage and meal reimbursement.

The Senior Appreciation Luncheon will be held in October this year in honor of our volunteers who dedicate their time to not only our program, but to those that they serve. 

Melissa Bland, RSVP Director

• RSVP is a part of Senior Corps and is America’s largest volunteer network for people 55 and over, with more than 300,000 volunteers.
• RSVP serves Hardin & Nelson County.
• We currently have 107 volunteers ranging in age from 57 to 93.
• 77 volunteers serve in Hardin County & 30 in Nelson County.
• There are currently 19 work stations; 14 in Hardin County & 5 in Nelson County
• Volunteers currently receive 40 cents per mile with a maximum reimbursement of $50 per month.
• COVID has really been a challenge for the RSVP Program!

Year	Volunteers	Hours
2017	103	26,131
2018	108	30,171
2019	107	24,439
2020	74	9,284
2021	53	9,962
Jan- June 2022	53	5,182

Contact Info:   Melissa Bland at 270-737-1059 or RSVP.Director@ckcac.org

Tammy Stanley, Head Start Director

As the month turns to August, Head Start and Early Head Start prepares for a new beginning to the school year. We are renewed and refreshed from the summer and have our full attention to welcoming 494 children to our programs. Many faces will be familiar, and some will be new. Regardless, the beginning school year brings an opportunity to start anew and do all we can for our children and families.

Head Start and Early Head Start has many updates to report as we wrap up our summer planning processes. We are beginning a new initiative entitled the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). ELP will allow Instructional Assistants the opportunity to be selected to complete advanced training and college coursework with the intention of being fully qualified Teachers within two years. These Instructional Assistants will be trained to work with our Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms and will be deployed to support classrooms across the agency throughout the year.

To help increase support for our teaching staff and enhance services to children, Head Start and Early Head Start is adding a 4^th Education Coach. We want to make sure that all staff are adequately supported and can provide the highest quality services to our children. Adding an additional Education Coach to our ranks increases Head Start and Early Head Start’s ability to do so.

Lastly, COVID-19 is still with us. Head Start and Early Head Start is working closely with the Lincoln Trail Health Department to implement pandemic safety protocols in alignment with the CDC and Ky’s Division of Regulated Childcare. We would like to encourage you and your loved ones (ages six months and older) to consider getting vaccinated. The more children and families who are vaccinated, the safer we all are and the more likely we can keep all classrooms and centers open this year.

Martha ‘Jewell’ Bartley, Head Start Quality Assurance Manager

Hal Goode, Executive Director
JULY 2022

Gordon Thomas, CKCAC’s past Board Chair and current Board Member, passed away Thursday evening. Mr. Thomas was a huge supporter of Community Action & the many programs. Please keep his family in your prayers during this time of loss. Below is his obituary and service details.

Gordon Earl Thomas, age 60, of Hodgenville, passed away, Thursday, July 7, 2022, at his residence.

He was a member and the Administrative Assistant at Hodgenville United Methodist Church and a LaRue County High School Graduate.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Claudine McDougal Thomas and a sister, Pamela Thomas.

He is survived by his aunts, Edna Mae Taylor, Mary Blanche Woods and Marva McDougal; several cousins and many friends.

The Hodgenville United Methodist Church will conduct a memorial service for Gordon at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 23, at the church, his ashes will be interred in Hubbard Cemetery.

Everybody loved Gordon. We’re going to miss him dearly. See you again one day, Friend. More to come……………much more……….