Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition

General Membership Meeting

 

March 1, 2023

 

 

1. Welcome:  Twenty members representing sixteen agencies attended.  The Coalition Board will be meeting next week to finalize the applications for the swim pass program.  Applications will be available at The Beacon and Buck Run throughout the month of April.

 

2. Member Introductions and Announcements:

• Sandy Haggard, RSVP: Sandy sent word that the next Red Cross blood drive will be April 19 and 20; please contact her to volunteer for a two-hour shift.
• DeeDee LeFever, Greenbush: DeeDee helps match resources with needs.
• Dawn Cubbison, Aetna Better Health of Kansas:  She is available to share information about Medicaid redetermination which will start next month.
• Elizabeth Schafer, Pioneer Kiwanis and CASA: both organizations need volunteers; CASA does not have enough volunteers to support the children they have been assigned.
• Dave Gillen, The Beacon: They continue to receive produce on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; clients can shop on the back porch.  They also help with rent and utility assistance and have a limited number of taxi passes.  Beacon hours are 9:00 – 1:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
• LeaLay Karleskint, K-State Snap Ed: She is still looking for partners to provide space for her classes which provide nutrition education.
• Lisa Robertson, COPE and CHC: COPE works with partners to help people find resources. The COPE grant runs until December, 2023; they are now working on the extension. They have been able to help 219 individuals in less than one year.
• Allen Schellack, Compassionate Ministries and Salvation Army:  Alan is able to do some things to help that are not the usual types of assistance.  He is working with a new program:  SSVF =  Supplemental Services for Veterans families.  This organization helps veterans find housing.
• Christine Abbott, SEK Works: Christine works with ages 16-24 with GED, training, work experience; she can also help with resumes.  The office is located within the HBCAT office with hours Monday through Friday.
• Tammy Alcantar, Crawford County Health Department: For the Baby and Me Tobacco Free program, Tammy comes to Fort Scott to meet wherever the mom feels comfortable.  Her pre-natal program can now do tours of the labor and delivery units at Via Christi.
• Lindsey McNeil, KU COPE grant: The Local Health Equity Action Team has been able to provide freezers for Feeding Families and make partial  payment for windows at the Senior Citizens Center.  The team stresses homeless housing and transportation.  Meetings are every other Thursday from 6-7; contact any COPE person to become involved or Rachel Carpenter at the HBCAT office.
• Amy Hagan, Family Support Specialist at CHC: her main function is to provide support for mothers.
• Maggie Young, Bourbon County Community Engagement Manager for CHC will be doing canned food drives in the near future.
• Nick Johnson, USD 234 PreSchool: Screening this month will be on March 24; the Spring Fling on April 6; Kindergarten Round-Up on April 19; PreSchool Round-Up on May 5.  The community is working to start a Childcare Coalition; please contact Nick if you wish to be involved.
• Kelli Mengarelli, Early Childhood Block Grant: Kelli partners with childcare providers to ensure quality child care.
• Michelle Stevenson: Her program is full right now but she will always take referrals.  Michelle works within the preschool building with children prenatal through age 6.
• Amy Boyd: Amy is actively working on finding additional quality childcare for children aged newborn to three.
• Patty Simpson, Fort Scott Housing Authority: She has a total of 190 units; right now there is a wait list for all size units, but applications, based on income, can still be made.  The Housing Authority has office hours Monday throught Friday.
• Melanie Wiles, Gentiva Hospice: Gentiva will host a resource fair on April 7, 9-11 a.m. in Homer Cole, Pittsburg.  A Community Healthcare partner, Autumn Green, an attorney, will be talking about advance directives.

 

3. Program: Bailey Lyons, Meredith Tucker, and Katie Hueston provided information about the first completely accessible park in Fort Scott: the Splash Pad.  Although they still have about $40,000 to raise, they plan to have the park operational by Good ‘Ol Days.  The park will be free of charge and open from dawn to dusk.  Once the Splash Pad is installed and functional, they will begin on Phase 2 which will include fencing and bathrooms.

 

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

 

5. Adjournment:  Next General Membership meeting will be April 5, at 1:00 p.m.  Carson Felt and an ensemble from the FSHS orchestra will present our program.