Category: Newsletter

An exciting April is coming up with many positive programs and activities, but I am going to look into the Central Kentucky Community Action Council (CKCAC) crystal ball for an awesome look at May. National Community Action Month in May was created by the Community Action Partnership to reinforce Community Action agencies’ role in helping low-income families achieve economic stability.

During National Community Action Month, Community Action Agencies truly make the promise of Community Action—to help people and change lives—come alive by hosting events that help put a “face” on the families striving to achieve self-sufficiency. CKCAC will be hosting events throughout May with success stories being honored and personal achievements being recognized.

Community Action Agencies also use National Community Action Month to call attention to the positive programs that help thousands of families achieve self-sufficiency. As Central Kentucky Community Action Council continues to showcase our programs, we are also giving local residents -many of whom are unaware of the poverty in their communities -a first-hand look at the struggles low-income families face and how CKCAC programs help these families achieve financial security.

CKCAC will also be a part of the Senior Celebration on May 16 at the Pritchard Community Center in Elizabethtown as we celebrate Older Americans Month. This has been going on for over 50 years. Let’s keep it going and celebrate our seniors.

We don’t want to do this without you. I welcome you to be a part of it.

More to come….much more.

Hello from the CCC family! We are extremely busy providing CCC in-home services as well as the operation of the Lincoln Trail Regional Network.

We deliver quality in-home services to our families and provide professional coaching and support. Right now, we are aiding families in increasing positive parenting and discipline skills, obtaining housing, improving household cleanliness, increasing budgeting skills and financial management, building positive relationships with schools and most importantly we are providing a positive support for families. We are striving to connect families to available community resources and supports that may be beneficial to the family.

We are currently serving 10 families and have many families on our waiting list. The families on our waiting list have been offered a family planning meeting. Family planning meetings are a resource used to bring the targeted family and appropriate community partners together in order to brainstorm and create an action plan that will best aid the family. These meetings have been a huge success and are beneficial to the families involved.

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and the Lincoln TrailRegional Network has many activities planned in our communities to raise the awareness and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Our activities are as follows:

Marion County – Child Abuse Awareness Walk at Center Square on April 13^th from12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Washington County – “Prevention Talks” at North Washington Elementary SchoolCradle School on Fridays in April.

Nelson County – Violence Prevention Kick Ball Event at Bardstown High School.

Larue County– Prevention Resource Information Table displayed at the Larue CountyLibrary during the month of April.

Hardin County– Poverty Simulation at Pritchard Community Center on April 11^th.

Breckinridge County– Prevention Resource Information Table displayed at theBreckinridge County Library during the month of April.

Grayson County– Prevention Lunch and Learn at Lawler Elementary.

Meade County– Darkness to Light: Child Sexual Abuse Training at the Meade CountyLibrary on April 27^th starting at 9:00 a.m.

The Family Child Care and Unaffiliated Centers Programs have seen such growth in the past few months! It has been a whirlwind of signing them up and submitting the paperwork to the Child and Adult Care Food Program. There are 18 counties with homes and centers participating under the sponsorship of Central Kentucky Community Action.

The agency now serves as a sponsor for 21 centers, meaning nearly 900 children are being served meals and snacks with better nutrition as a focus. Staff at the centers are trained to plan menus with the children’s nutrition needs in mind. Less processed foods are being served and children are introduced to more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Although the Family Child Care Homes has steadily declined all over the state during the past few years, the homes sponsored by the agency have shown a determination to improve the nutrition and the overall quality of care. There are around 300 children impacted by the participation in the program.

It is a blessing for centers and homes to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. They are able to provide better nutrition for the children with the reimbursement. The children benefit so much being introduced to good nutrition at an early age. Parents can be assured children are getting better nutrition. They realize the importance of this because the bulk of a child’s daily nutrition is being served at the child care program. It is a win-win situation for all!

The Big Reveal……What an awesome day with our Capital Partners at Spring View Hospital and the unveiling of our first CKCATS van wrap for Central Kentucky Community Action Council. Thanks to Greg Gribbins and the Marion County Chamber for organizing the event.

Funding for this wrap will be used for programs at Central Kentucky Community Action Council to continue our research into transportation of potential employees for available workforce in our region. Making transportation more readily available to these workers could go a long way with the community discussion focusing on workforce development & transportation.

The CKCATS van wraps are a way to show partnerships and with the March Goode News, I think we should just think fictionally if one of our CKCATS vans could have a conversation with us what would it say? First, it would tell you about the many seniors it takes to meals daily here in the Lincoln Trail Area where they have a nutritious meal as our menus are prepared by a registered dietitian. It would tell you about the veteran it takes to daily dialysis and how someone donated funds to help pay for the transportation due to financial distress the individual faces.

I bet it would comment about what a pleasure it was to have six Korean students from Lindsey Wilson College transported to Louisville International Airport though Intercity Program where anyone can take transportation to the airport or greyhound bus station for only $10 per person. Most importantly, it would tell you about our CKCATS team that strive every day to provide care to those who are in transport. CKCATS has logged 100,000 trips by our 74 transport vehicles, equaling 1.8 million miles logged for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

CKCAC will continue to address the needs of our service area. We are proud to serve the citizens of the Lincoln Trail Area with life changing programs and services. We will continue to strive to empower those seeking economic stability, while working to strengthen families and build better communities. Funding from projects with our Capital Campaign will do just that. If you would like to be a part, please contact me.

More to come, much more…….

Special thanks to Gary White and Channel 6 for covering the event. If you would like to view the unveiling of the CATS van, please click here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WH2deL6S28.

The Senior Companion Program submitted its progress report supplement on December 10. The report is a reflection of the progress the program has made in carrying out the outcome-based work plans. A total of 44 volunteers, all over the age of 55, provided 45,951 hours of in-home services to 109 clients living within our six-county service area. Counties served include Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, Marion, Nelson and Washington. The program’s semi-annual financial and progress report was also due in e-grants by January 30. Progress of work plans and budget seem to be right on target at this time!

Volunteer performance evaluations will be completed, reviewed and signed off on during the February In-Service. The Director completes an evaluation on all 44 of the program’s volunteers and then reviews it with each one of them. The Director and volunteer both sign the document in approval of the content written in the evaluation.

Income reviews will also be another task that will be completed by March. Each volunteer must turn in proof of their household income annually. This is a requirement for eligibility in serving as a volunteer in the Senior Companion Program. This proves whether or not they meet the criteria of the guidelines established by the program’s federal funding source, the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Volunteers in the Senior Companion Program will be mailing out cards to our veterans, active military and their families. This event will serve as our service activity in honor of “Martin Luther King Jr. Day.” We certainly take pride in making our National Service Projects a huge success!

SCP currently has a waiting list of individuals interested in volunteering, as well as clients that are in need of our services. Anyone interested in joining or knows someone that needs some extra help can call (270) 734-3604 for more information.

We hope that everyone had a joyful holiday season surrounded by the love of family and friends. Saying “thank you” just isn’t enough for the commitment in responding whenever we are faced with needs. Your support will definitely help drive us forward in the important work ahead. As always, we are so thankful for the opportunity to serve Central Kentucky’s elderly and disabled population. We continue to strive to make living independently a reality. We wish you many blessings in the New Year ahead.

Mr. Raymond Temple was recently presented with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and service to Nelson County. He has served 7,808 volunteer hours during his 12-plus years with the Kentucky Railway Museum, Inc. in New Haven, KY.

CKCATS is off to a fast pace for the 2019 year. We just received eight new mini vans from American Bus in December. The vans were provided by a 5339 grant from the Office of Transportation Delivery. This addition will update our fleet to 78 buses and will help fulfill the transportation needs of our clients with over 75 percent of our fleet being wheelchair accessible.

We will also receive two 12 x 2 buses from Mid-South Bus Center in March. These buses will also be provided by the 5339 grant. Current projects we are working on include processing our 5310, 5311 and 5339 grants. These grants are due by April 1.

CKCATS received a grant to renovate the Central Office in Lebanon along with a new phone system. New camera systems were also recently installed in the new buses and the entire fleet has been updated. Another project we are currently working on is the safety and security of all parking lots in the counties we serve. The Marion County parking lot for CKCATS had new LED lights installed. This is part of our Safety and Security Plan. All other county parking lots are being evaluated for lighting as well.

I hope this newsletter finds everyone warm and well. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Winter hasn’t been too bad for the Congregate Meals Program thus far. The senior centers have only had to close a few days this winter due to inclement weather. Per policy, if school is closed due to inclement weather senior centers are closed as well.

With snow day closures, holiday closures and potlucks Congregate Meals is now projected to have enough funds to provide meals through May. As of right now, June looks to be the only month where providing meals may be an issue. Any and all donations made to the Congregate Meal Program are always needed and appreciated!

Everyone who was previously trained for Bingocize has completed the recertification training. Staff in Hardin and Nelson Counties completed the Bingocize training and are now certified to offer classes in those counties. Please see your local senior center for class times and dates.

Since July 1, 2018, we have provided 696 Bingocize sessions to 99 unduplicated participants. We have served 18,762 meals to 472 unduplicated participants and have provided 3,003 nutrition education sessions to 355 unduplicated participants.

Grayson County Senior Center has a job opening for the kitchen aide position. Please see our Facebook page for job the description and how to apply.

Following the completion of CKCAC’s latest annual report, I always like to see on the local level how organizations impact regions. The National Community Action Partnership recently released the first National Community Action Impact Report: Building Opportunities for All. This unique and comprehensive report looks at how Community Action Agencies across the country impact the lives of 15 million people each year, creating pathways to prosperity. To access the report, visit: www.communityactionpartnership.com/impactreport.

The report outlines the needs families face in today’s uneven economy, the reach of Community Action coast to coast, and the impact Community Action has in communities every day. CKCAC is part of the Community Action Network, a local force of 1,000 local Community Action Agencies, reaching children and families in 99 percent of all U.S. counties. Agencies connect families to approaches that help them succeed and promote community-wide solutions to seemingly stubborn challenges in cities, suburban and rural communities. Creating pathways to prosperity, we work with our clients daily to do just that. I welcome you to be a part of it.

More to come…much more.

As part of the Kentucky Works contract, staff are required to do monthly follow-ups with participants for 12 months after they have obtained employment. Sadly, there are times that we are not able to make contact and learn from the employer that they are no longer employed. But other times we learn of wonderful success stories.

For example, in December, our staff did a six-month follow-up on a Trimble County participant working for Steel Tech. He is currently making $21.00 an hour and has recently qualified for benefits. With overtime and this awesome hourly rate of pay, he and his family’s lives have been changed forever.

Not all of our participants leave the program and get jobs that pay like the one above, but even for those that are able to obtain an entry-level job, they too are seeing changes for their families and themselves. They are learning how to be independent of government assistance and how to support their families. That is Kentucky Works at its best.