In November, Community Action of Southern Kentucky honored 45 staff members who have worked for the Agency for 5, 10, 15, 20 and more than 25 years. Congratulations to all of our "star" employees who have dedicated so many years to helping individuals and families be self-reliant.

Head Starts across the 10 county area are celebrating fall with fall festivals. Many parents volunteer to help the children with fun activities from face painting, games, pumpkin decorating to arts and crafts. It is a fun time for Head Start staff and the whole family!

Nearly 100 Foster Grandparents from 10 counties were honored on October 25th for their years of service at a "Hollywood red carpet" celebration. For more information about the Foster Grandparent Program, click here.

Thanks to a gift from the Turner Family Foundations, Community Action's Allen County Center has exhibits from the history of Allen County and Kentucky that were designed and installed by the Washington D.C. Newseum. This open house was for the public to view the exhibits and to kick off the WKU Folk Life Oral History project!

Community Action of Southern Kentucky held its 5th annual Charity Golf Classic on Thursday May 26, 2010 at Crosswinds Golf Course in Bowling Green, KY. First place teams won $300/team and were as follows: First flight Danny Blanchard, Butch Childers, Hugh Evans, Eddie Miller; Second flight Stephen Biles, Brandon Wafford, Chip Wilkins, Ryan Williams; Third flight Ryan Cole, Josh Frost, Shahid Iqbal, Corey Rogers. Second place teams won $200/team and were as follows: First flight Johnathan Bates,Dennis Hunt, Ernie Thomason and Terry Thomason; Second flight Gary Perkins, Mikel Smith, Gerald Smith, Rick Starks ; Third flight N.E. Reed, Rodney Kirtley, Roy McDougal, Tray Meredith. Dan Jackson and Lynda Love, Closest to the Pin Winners, each received $25. Straightest Drive winners were Ryan Williams and Mary Cash, who also each received $25. The Team Longest Putt winners were from Forever Communications including Norm Haney, Dan Jackson, Doc Kaelin, BC Thomas, who received a team prize of $200 Gift Certificate. A very special thank you goes to all of the individuals and businesses, who provided sponsorships or cash, door prizes, welcome bags or food/drink donations. We would also like to thank Crosswinds Golf Course for their generosity and hospitality in hosting this event, which netted over $11,700 to provide services to children, seniors, families throughout the 10 counties.

On Sunday, March 27, 2011 Volunteers In Action held its annual award presentation at Christ Episcopal Church in Bowling Green. Community Action had nominations from the Foster Grandparent Program and the Retired Senior Volunteers Program. Ms. Lauren Hanson from WBKO presented the awards. In the Spirit of Service Award category Ms. Debra Jo Harwood and Ms. Betty Justice were nominated by the Foster Grandparent Program. Nominated in the Team Spirit Awards category were the Foster Grandparent Volunteers from Glasgow Head Start and Loyal Ladies of Bowling Green Christian Church by the Retired and Senior Volunteers Program. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program nominated Mr. David Price in the Rookie of the Year Award category. Pictured here are the Foster Grandparent Volunteers at Glasgow Head Start Learning Center receives the Team Spirit Award at the Volunteers In Action Annual Recognition in March.

The 2011 Community Big Shot brought in over $2,000 to help fight poverty in the 10-county area. Thank you to Park Mammoth Resort and the staff at Rockcastle Shooting Center for your hospitality in hosting this event. Congratulations to the winning team sponsored by Farmers National Bank: Larry Dale Williams, Eric Williams both of Scottsville, Randy Jordan of Bowling Green and Tony Coffman of Russellville, KY. A special thanks goes to the Butler Funeral Home in Edmonton, TESCO – Transportation Equipment Sales Corp., Bruce Wilkerson, Southern Foods, Clark Distributing, Country Oven Bakery, Chick Fil A, Cee Bee Food Store, Subway of Brownsville, Minit Mart #91, and ATP Greenhouses for your continued support of Community Action of Southern Kentucky and the annual Community Big Shot event.

Edmonson County’s 1st ever Table-Setting Throwdown was a great success, providing additional funding for enrichment activities at the Edmonson County Senior Center. A total of 8 tables competed for the top prize of $100! First place went to Vickie Walker, Second Place was Shirley Bond and Linda Butts, and Third Place went to Madge Lashley. We would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped make this event a success. Thank you to Elvis Lindsey and his family for helping with the live auction.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky celebrated the GRAND OPENING of the new Allen County Community Action Center on Saturday, June 26, 2010. Community Action’s Board and Staff joined the Board of the Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation, three generations of the Turner family, Scottsville-Allen County Chamber of Commerce, and other elected officials and community members to celebrate this new beginning for Community Action’s services in Scottsville at 25 J.L. Turner and Son Place. The ceremony included a Time Capsule dedication. The time capsule is set to be opened in 2065 during Allen County’s 250th Anniversary. A ribbon cutting, in partnership with the Scottsville-Allen County Chamber of Commerce, closed the ceremony, and then community members took tours of the new Allen County Community Action facility. The foyer of the building brings visitors to Community Services, which includes individual and family services through food, rent and heating assistance, garden program and educational scholarships. Also on the 1st floor is Children Services, which includes three pre-school classrooms, offices for Head Start staff, laundry facilities and a common area for staff. The commercial kitchen on the first floor will provide meals for seniors, Head Start children and cooking and food preservation classes for the community. The elevator and/or stairway leads to the 2nd floor of the facility, which includes a large multi-purpose room, computer lab and the Senior Center. The Senior Center includes a large dining area with casual seating, Senior Center staff office, recreation room and exercise room. This building is a result of the partnership between Community Action and the Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation, who donated the J.L. Turner & Son Warehouse property and committed $1.75 million towards the new $3 million handicap accessible facility which houses all of Community Action’s services in Allen County.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky hosted a Ribbon Cutting and Open House at the new CO Annex to celebrate our 45th Anniversary, National Community Action Month and to present GO bg transit’s new low floor kneeling buses on May 19th. Guest Speakers included Joe Natcher of Southern Foods and Bowling Green Chamber Chairman, Mayor Elaine Walker, and Judge Executive Mike Buchanon. The new Central Office Annex property, which adjoins the current Community Action Administrative office building, was purchased with the City of Bowling Green’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and it’s renovations purchased with the City’s Enterprise Community funding. The Annex houses the GO bg transit and Weatherization Services, both of which have been beneficiaries of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus) funding. The new low floor kneeling buses, which are much easier for individuals with mobility problems to load and unload, purchased with these funds were on hand for viewing. For additional information on GO bg Transit, click here. For information on Weatherization services, click here.