Category: Newsletter

LIHEAP CRISIS UPDATE – Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Crisis has been extended through April 15, 2021, or until designated funds are depleted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Benefits are available to assist households experiencing a home heating crisis. Eligibility has expanded to allow Kentuckians on arrearage payment plans or with late/overdue amounts to apply. So far, 3,976 Applications and 2,821 Unduplicated Households have spent $921,019.24 of the available money. Contact your local Community Action Agency to apply.

Kentucky Utilities Louisville Gas & Electric Heating Assistance Program – The Community Services Staff has 259 active participants in the KU Heating Assistance Program and 35 in the Louisville Gas and Electric.  Through this program, eligible customers will receive a $88.00 credit on their electric bill during the seven months of expected highest electricity usage. The total value of this program equals $181,104.00 for these families. To qualify for the program the family must: be a KU or LG&E customer, and have made an application for LIHEAP and the HEA program and keep bills current, not going into disconnect.

Educational Scholarship Program – Scholarship Packets have been delivered to the Principals and Counselors at each High School and Vocational School, and the Adult Learning Centers in our service area, informing them of this program. Students are encouraged to apply for the scholarships that are paid directly to the college or technical school for tuition or books. Deadlines for application submission is

 Community Needs Assessment – The Community Needs Assessment has been completed. The results will be used to establish the Priorities for the CSBG Work Plan that will be included in the 2021-2022 CSBG Budget Proposal. Thanks to all who completed the Needs Assessment Survey Form.

Answer Choices	Responses
Employment	77.66%	1050
Education	52.37%	708
Income and Asset Building	29.73%	402
Housing	64.35%	870
Health	46.45%	628
Civic Engagement	4.51%	61
Support Services (supporting multiple domains)	24.93%	337
	Answered	1352

Central Kentucky Community Action’s Weatherization Program has completed a total of 18 homes with DOE and LIHEAP funding with 2 cancellations, and 17 homes which have been deferred due to needs outside the of our program guidelines, as of February 28, 2021.

CKCAC has 15 clients on the waiting list to receive Weatherization services as of January 1^st 2021. The Weatherization Program is fully staffed with an in-house crew and are still utilizing contractors to perform HVAC and Electrical work that we have to 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.

Central Kentucky Community Action Council Wx program is fully staffed with a highly trained supporting and technical staff consisting of Denny Baxter Dwelling Needs Evaluator EA/QCI Josh Mattingly Crew Leader, Ashley Hines Retrofit Installer, Tessa Hinton Retrofit Installer, and supporting staff Barbara Garrett Accounting/Weatherization Assistant. 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, ATMOS, East Kentucky Power, Kentucky Utilities, and Louisville Gas& Electric.

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.

To receive Weatherization services, or learn more about the program, please call 270-259-0021.

The Kentucky Works program currently has 9 clients that are employed in the K-TAP Program. Our Employment Specialists continue to follow up with each of these clients and track the hours they are working. In addition, the program did have one new client that began unsubsidized employment this quarter.
On the SNAP Employment and Training program we continue to reach out to clients and complete assessments when they are referred to us. We have 61 referrals for the SNAP program at this time.

We continue to stay in touch weekly with employers in each county we serve regarding their current needs and work opportunities. When KW gets referrals we match the client’s skills with the employer needs to have a good match which ensures a good working relationship between the client and employer.
Thankfully, 23 Work Experience Sites continue to be open and/or are willing to accept our referrals due to many company closures due to COVID-19. Normally, KY Works is able to utilize 135 sites across 17 counties.

KW staff continues to stay in touch virtually including a staff meeting that was held on February 10, 2021, to discuss all relative matters in the program. We discussed the recent survey conducted by Central Kentucky Community Action Council including communication skills and best ways to communicate in the new virtual world. We discussed how KY Works continues 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 months of employment. A training presentation on Leadership, Communication, Team Effectiveness, and Stress Management was also shared with staff during this meeting.

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. Covid-19 continues to have a significant impact on both of our programs. While there is a current state of emergency, the state of Kentucky has implemented a “Good Cause exemption” where clients are not required to participate in the programs. This good cause exemption is currently in effect through 4-30-2021 but could be extended beyond that date until the vaccines can be more widely distributed.

Spring is a time for renewal and a time for new beginnings. Fresh buds bloom, animals awaken, birds migrate, and the earth seems to come to life after a dormant winter.

There are several “new” things going on at CKCAC now too!

Head Start students are once again filling our centers. We welcomed students back on April 12, 2021, for full-time, in-person learning at their family’s discretion. There are a total of 354 Early Head Start and Head Start students attending in-person each day throughout the 6-county region.

One Call Now is being utilized to communicate with staff. One Call Now is a platform used to send mass e-mails, phone calls, and text messages to employees reminding them of days off, company benefits, showing them appreciation, etc.

New Board Members have been elected and appointed. In recent months we have welcomed Mr. Brad Allen Turner who is representing Larue County on the Area Board of Directors as well as Ms. Patricia McCoy who is representing Grayson County.

A new Program Director has joined our team. The Community Collaboration for Children program has named Ms. Ronda Bertrand as the new Program Director and Ms. Diane Redmond as a new In-Home Worker.

The two new Head Start facilities being built in Lebanon and Springfield are close to having Open Houses. Stay tuned for updates on when you will be invited to tour these new facilities.

New Day Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes have joined the food program and are now receiving reimbursement for serving nutritious meals to children who attend each day. There are now a total of 51 centers and homes participating throughout the state.

New grants from Tri-County United Way have been awarded to the Congregate Meals Program, Senior Companion Program and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. This money will help expand programming.

New volunteers have been added to several program areas which also allows for the expansion of programming and allows for more outreach in certain communities.

New vehicles have been added to the CKCAC fleet and the trip count per day has continued to increase so much so that the program is almost fully recovered from the COVID-19 crisis.

KY Works has a new client beginning unsubsidized work this month. Several other individuals have been hired through the program and continue to work daily.

New jobs are being posted weekly and many new hires have joined our team in recent months. We currently have jobs available through the CKCATS, Head Start, and Congregate Meals programs.

New opportunities for community members to receive utility and rent assistance have emerged and applications are still being accepted at this time in all local CSBG offices. We are currently offering scholarship opportunities for high school seniors through the CSBG program as well.

The new COVID-19 vaccine has become available and many CKCAC staff have already been fully inoculated.

Although we are excited about all the “new” things happening at CKCAC, we are still steadfast in our promise to change people’s lives, embody the spirit of hope, improve communities, and make America a better place to live. We continue to be dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.

So, there will be more to come . . . much more.

The classrooms are filled with the sounds of children and we are so delighted! CKCAC Head Start returned to in-person learning on March 1 allowing children in the classrooms 2 days a week. Triage begins the day to ensure every safety precaution is being followed to keep students and staff safe. Parents continue to be given the option of keeping their child on a virtual learning schedule at this time.

Over the last year, every effort has been made to keep families and children engaged. Head Start employees have kept in contact with parents via Zoom, phone calls and every other way imaginable to keep students engaged and to assist with any crisis that the family may have been facing. From ensuring that families had adequate food, shelter, utility bill assistance, addressing physical health and mental health issues, CKCAC Head Start staff was there. We were the original “Door Dash” in delivering supplies to continue education services and meals for family’s porches. The dedication and determination of Head Start staff to provide services to the families we serve was astounding during this pandemic.

Head Start is accepting applications for this year and for the upcoming school year. Applications can be taken in-person as well as on-line and by mail.Applications for employment is also being accepted at this time, please call your local Head Start to apply or visit our website at www.ckcac.org. Jobs are also posted to the CKCAC FaceBook page.

Our new Head Start centers in Springfield and Lebanon are nearing completion. We are looking forward to starting the new year in our new centers. A virtual tour will be planned during summer so that we can share our beautiful new facility before school opens in August. Stay tuned for additional information.

The beginning of 2021 was a rough start for the Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) and Unaffiliated Centers (UC) on the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Family gatherings during the holidays led to many 10-day temporary closures for our homes and centers because of positive COVID-19 cases. There were a total of 6 centers and 5 homes that had to close and quarantine for 10 days during the month of January. Unfortunately, daycare staff are still not eligible to receive the COVID vaccine and until they meet criteria, we anticipate future closures.

Little Lakers, LLC. in Russell Springs recently passed their health inspection and were able to receive a temporary state license. According to program regulations, centers and homes must be licensed in order to participate in the food program. The homes and centers must pass a health inspection before being granted a license. Unfortunately, due to COVID many local health departments have not been able to enter the facilities to complete the health inspections. Little Lakers, LLC will begin submitting their monthly food report in March.

Kyle’s Korner Learning Center in Lawrenceburg is still awaiting a health inspection. We are hoping that this facility will be able to submit a food report in April.

If you are interested in opening a childcare facility, or know someone that is interested, please reach out to the FCCH and UC Director, Jane Claire Hupman, at (270) 402-1977 or jane.hupman@ckcac.org.

March 2021

Earlier this month, I spoke to the Marion County Salvation Army in Lebanon.  Salvation Army – just what do the bell ringers do?

FIRST, they assess the needs of each community in which they serve. The Salvation Army works to understand the obstacles, hardships, and challenges native to the area’s particular population.

NEXT, they build local programs designed to offer immediate relief, short-term care, and long-term growth in the areas that will best benefit the community.

THEN, they invest in the Community. The Salvation Army can offer and support the local programs to the local community, working to continually optimize their efficacy via spiritual, physical, and emotional service.

Here is a look at the Marion County numbers for the year 2020 at Central Kentucky Community Action. We were able to assist approximately 80 individuals and spent approximately $800. Salvation army funds allows our agency to assist people in many ways other than bill assistance. CKCAC was able to find temporary housing for a couple that was sleeping in their vehicle. We were able to help individuals pay for medications that weren’t covered by insurance. We provided a client vouchers to purchase kerosene for heat. 

Salvation Army has allowed Central Kentucky Community Action to assist families in ways that complement other programs. If a client has a need and the vendor will accept the funds or terms of payment from the Salvation Army, CKCAC is able to help the client with up to $100 of assistance, once a year. For 2021 we have already assisted 10 Marion County households.

Please think about this next time you are making a donation or just dropping something in the Salvation Army kettle. With the help of the Salvation Army, YOU are investing in YOUR COMMUNITY. 

https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/

More to come…..much more.

Four RSVP volunteers received a Walmart gift card in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 18, 2021. 

Ms. Irenia Jett has nearly 1,600 volunteer hours at Hosparus Thrift Shoppe in E’town. She started volunteering with RSVP in November 2015. 

Barbara & Bob Livers are a husband and wife team that have been with RSVP since February 2015. Mrs. Livers has over 4,600 volunteer hours and Mr. Livers has nearly 2,100 volunteer hours at The St. Vincent De Paul Mission Store in Bardstown. 

Mr. Joe Logan joined RSVP in November 2014. He volunteers at St. Vincent De Paul Bread for Life Food Pantry and The Bardstown Senior Center. He has nearly 3,500 volunteer hours.  

RSVP is always looking for more volunteers! You must be over 60 years old and be willing to work in Hardin or Nelson County. Most RSVP volunteers choose to volunteer 5-10 hours per month but others work 100+ hours per month. The number of hours is up to the volunteer. We currently have 12 work stations in Hardin County & 5 in Nelson County. 

Feel free to contact RSVP Director, Melissa Bland at 270-734-1059 or RSVP.Director@ckcac.org if you would like more information.  

The Senior Companion Program recruits senior volunteers to provide in-home services to the frail, elderly population to help them remain living independently in their own homes. Listed below are the eligibility requirements for volunteers and clients. 

VOLUNTEER ELIGIBILITY: Be 55 years of age or older. Be capable of understanding and working with a recipient with exceptional or special needs. Must meet the CNCS income eligibility guidelines.  Be able to serve 5-40 hours per week or (260-2080 hours annually) determined by a physical examination and a TB assessment.  Be willing to accept professional supervision. Be able to pass all background checks, including NSOPW, Court Net, and FBI fingerprint checks.   

 SELECTION OF RECIPIENT TO BE SERVED:  Volunteer staff, in conjunction with the SCP staff, shall be responsible for the selection of the individual recipient to be served by each Senior Companion. A Senior Companion is assigned to a recipient who has one or more physical, emotional or mental health limitations and is in need of assistance to achieve and maintain their highest level of independent living.
The development of a close personal relationship with the Senior Companion is encouraged, appropriate, and can have a significant effect in improving the recipient’s physical/mental health. The assignment will be of significant duration. Determination of the length of time each recipient should receive the services of a Senior Companion will be determined by the Volunteer Station. The assignment has a possibility of helping a recipient remain independent in their home. Senior Companions are assigned to recipients with special needs and not everyone is suitable for each type of assignment. Every effort will be made to find an assignment that is both comfortable and rewarding for each party.

Please contact Amanda Hodgens at 270-734-3604 for more information.