May 7, 2025
- Welcome: Twenty-one members representing sixteen agencies attended the meeting held at the Scottview Apartments Conference Room.
- Member Introductions and Announcements:
- Jenny Layes – HBCAT Community Health Worker- HBCAT offers small business mentorship, hosts KansasWorks, and provides a community health worker. Jenny is planning to organize a community health fair in the fall.
- Janelle Tate ECBG – The last round of testing is underway. The Jump Start program will be taking place this summer for children entering kindergarten in the fall.
- Kathy Romero – Angels Care Home Health – offers multiple programs in southeast Kansas.
- Lauren – Angels Care Home Health – A new program started this month, addiction management (drugs, alcohol, gambling). Can help manage symptoms, pain, etc., accept Medicare, some private plans, and Advantage plans.
- Michelle Stevenson – FS Early Childhood Program – works with parents and families to further the development of children. Michelle will be looking for more families in June. Send any referrals to her.
- Stephanie Breckinridge – Family Strong Social Worker – can provide about any support to keep kids safe and at home.
- Kathy Brennon – Area Agency on Aging- Meal site is still going at Buck Run. Harry Hines Hospice is hosting bingo each month. KS Legal Aid is hosting a legal clinic on May 16 by appointment at Buck Run. Meal home delivery has a waiting list, but on-site meals are available. AAA manages the Kansas senior farmers’ market program. This program will start later this year and will only receive about half the number of vouchers as last year.
- Dave Gillen – Beacon – Help clients with food twice a month. Help with other personal items. A limited number of taxi passes and gas vouchers are available. The Beacon is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Clients must live in Bourbon County, qualifications must match DCF. The Beacon served 367 families last month and met $10,407 worth of financial needs. Last year, they distributed over 100,000 pounds worth of food.
- Patty Simpson – Fort Scott Housing Authority – FSHA has 190 income-based apartments. All apartments are currently full, but they are always taking applications. Felonies don’t necessarily disqualify someone from being accepted.
- Jalaine Davis – Core Community – serves those in poverty, trying to help them get out of poverty. Core will be focusing on team building through the summer. New participants will start in September.
- Jennifer Gum-Fowler- Library Director- Story time for kids takes place on Tuesdays, and there is a senior program on Wednesdays. Jennifer is looking for connections to local agencies so she can help people in need who come to the Library.
- Ana Salas – Safe House Crisis Center – Their office is in Pittsburg, but they serve 7 counties in southeast Kansas, including Bourbon County.
- Theresa Amershack – Safe House Children’s Director – Provide supervised visits and monitor custody exchanges. Most referrals come from courts, but can come from other agencies. Serve a lot of Bourbon County residents.
- Janice Durbin- Head Start SEK CAP – Head Start offers home-based and center-based education services to students. They are always taking more applications.
- Shelby Lackey – Head Start Family Educator – accepting applications for home-based and center-based students.
- April Jackson – Thrive Allen County & SEK Recovery Housing and Resources – Working on the Drug Endangered Children alliance for SEK. Provide “Lamby Learns about Addiction” programming in-person events. The DEC program serves 9 counties.
- Dee Dee LeFever – Greenbush Community Liaison – Dee Dee works with the early learning services and Autism team, and is currently helping with Parents As Teachers. Bourbon County PAT has recently added an additional educator and is looking for more families.
- Cynthia Row – USD 234 Mental Health Liaison- Works with SEK Mental Health Center and USD 234 to provide services and resources to USD 234 students.
- Heather Shepherd CHCSEK/USD 234 Community Health Worker- works to connect students and families to resources.
- Jenny Simhiser – Path of Ease – Working on opening addiction recovery homes in Fort Scott. The women’s and children’s house is full. Jenny would like to open a men’s house and possibly another women’s house soon.
- Program: Heather Shepherd, Lead School Community Health Worker- CHC-SEK/USD 234
Heather is a school-based community health worker for USD 234, employed by CHCSEK. She serves students from preschool to high school. Heather’s main goal is to connect students and families to resources and solutions so that students can be successful in school. Services Heather provides include: assisting with truancy, removing barriers, assisting with food insecurity, transportation, bug infestations, and helping find resources for those without water and electricity. She can also help with clothing, parenting skills, budgeting, and family goals. Heather collaborates with mental health liaisons and school staff to foster hope and change. She works with the Chase Program for high school and middle school students. This program promotes positive self-talk, setting goals, and community involvement among other things. Heather collaborates with several agencies including SparkWheel, Family Resource Center, and DCF.
- Open Forum: Nothing further came before the membership.
- Adjournment: The next General Membership meeting will be June 4, 2025.
