Bourbon County Interagency Coalition

General Membership Meeting Minutes

 

November 6, 2024

 

 

1.  Welcome:  Seventeen members representing sixteen agencies attended the meeting held at the Scottview Apartments Conference Room.

 

 

1.  Member Introductions and Announcements:

• Craig Campbell- Good Neighbor Action Team (GNAT) – Volunteers provide light handy work and yard clean-up. Have become more involved in ramp building.  Currently building a ramp once every 7-10 days.  Can also help with 504 grants and LIEAP application assistance.  Can help other organizations by providing volunteers.  Call Craig at 620-224-0167.
• Cherri Walrod KSU – Community Health Worker fills in gaps for anyone who needs it. Whole person, family, and community approach.
• Janelle Tate Early Childhood Block Grant – Winding down fall testing window. She covers early childhood in 6 counties to support home and school education.
• Michelle Stevenson -Fort Scott Early Childhood Program Coordinator – The program has 1 or 2 openings for prenatal through age 6. Michelle works with families to get children ready for preschool or kindergarten.
• Christine Abbott – SE KANSASWORKS – Located in the HBCAT office one day per week, Tuesday 10-3. The new phone number is 620-224-2563 Ext 2.  The youth program works with clients aged 16-24.  KANSASWORKS can help pay for training, GED, and arrange work experience.  If you have clients needing assistance finding a job, please send them to SE KANSASWORKS.
• Dee Dee LeFever – Greenbush Community Liaison – Work in 4 counties in SEK. Dee Dee works to recruit and retain families in early childhood programs such as Parents as Teachers, and Infant-Toddler Services.
• Tori White – Multi-County Health Dept. – COVID shots are available for infants, children, and adults. Public flu shot clinics have wrapped up, but RSV shots are available.  Holly Fritter is now a certified breastfeeding specialist.  A new peer counselor will begin working with clients soon in Woodson and Bourbon County.
• Lora Wilson – CHCSEK Community Health Worker supervisor- CHCSEK provides tobacco cessation.
• Lea Kay Karleskint- KSU SNAP-Ed Educator – Lea Kay will be leading a once-a-month class for seniors focused on nutrition, health, and physical activity. The class will meet on the third Tuesday of the month at 1:00, beginning on Nov 19.  Lea Kay also leads the Woodson County Walk With Ease class.
• LHEAT – Bourbon County Wide Gratitude Challenge food drive is currently taking place. This program will benefit all pantries and blessing boxes in the local area as well as Compassionate Ministries and the Beacon.  There are 26 drop-off sites around town.  Can also accept monetary donations.  The program runs through November 25.
• Heather Shepherd – CHCSEK Community Health Worker – Heather covers all USD 234 schools working with families and students to provide resources. Bed bugs are currently the biggest issue.  Heather has been working with Ben Lyons to provide lower-cost treatments for families dealing with bed bugs.
• Stephanie Breckenridge- Family Resource Center – Stephanie can work with any family as long as they have a child in the home. She works to address family issues in order to prevent possible abuse.
• Dave Gillen Beacon – The Beacon is celebrating 40 years in Bourbon County. The Beacon provides food to families twice a month.  They also provide hygiene products and baby formula.  Walmart food drop-offs are  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  The Beacon can help with the financial needs of families, particularly utilities.  Enrollment for 2025 is underway.  Adopt a child sign-up begins November 18.  Dave is looking for funding for bicycles.  The Beacon served 399 families in October, 32 of those were new families.  They served 593 adults and 346 children for a total of 939 people.
• Tammy Alcantar-Crawford County Health Dept- Prenatal classes began in August with good results. The next round will start in January.  Tammy also provides teen pregnancy and baby and me tobacco-free services.
• Sandy Haggard AmeriCorp Seniors- Tammy organizes senior volunteers They have volunteered at the Beacon, blood drives, and other community projects.  They have approximately  200 volunteers in 4 counties.
• Kathy Brennon- SEK Area Agency on Aging – Congregate meals at Buck Run are taking place for seniors 60 or over. They request a $2 donation, and participants must call ahead at 620-305-1539.  Medicare open enrollment is underway.  SEKAAA can help with Part B enrollment.  They are also partnering with Greenbush to provide Techwise, a computer education for adults 60+.

 

 

 

1.  Program:  Jenna Stout, SEK Area Director, Safe Families for Children

 

Safe Families for Children works with churches and community members to recruit vetted, background-checked volunteers who can host vulnerable children to support families while they are facing a crisis. Safe Families for Children’s goal is to keep families together. Safe Families can help parents in jail, those receiving mental health services, addiction treatment, etc.  Safe Families works to prevent child abuse, child welfare deflection (approx. 50% of referrals come from DCF), family support, and stabilization.  Safe Families is a faith-motivated, family-focused organization.  They partner with local organizations, keep a database, and can provide liability insurance for volunteers. Safe Families for Children is a national organization which began in 2003. Local efforts have picked back up after Covid.  This program is not foster care. It’s not court-ordered, it is completely voluntary, and parents must request Safe Families services.  Parents don’t lose custody while their child is with a host family. The Safe Families program has an approximate  95% reunification rate.  While children are with a host family, Safe Families tries to coordinate parental in-person visits at least weekly. The average placement is 2 weeks, but placements can be as short as day hosting.  If you have a family in crisis, they can call the intake line.  A 24-hour notice for placement is preferred, but exceptions can be made.

 

1.  Open Forum:  Nothing further came before the membership.

 

 

1.  Adjournment:  The next General Membership meeting will be on December 4, 2024.